Hunt and Slay
by SufficientlyAwkwardBadass
Summary: Because they only understand each other when in the face of demons and common enemies. A chance for closure from people both in the present and from the past appears when Dante, Lady and Trish investigate an odd pendant and Yamato's strange behavior.
1. I - Necessary Meeting

**DISCLAIMER: **This is awkward, but I have to inform you that I do not own the Devil May Cry series. Please don't feel ripped off.

A sudden burst of inspiration. I do not know if I will continue. It will all depend on your awesome reviews and the quality of my imagination to go forth with this concept of mine. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did writing this.

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**Necessary Meeting**

A year has passed since Dante last left Devil May Cry. From time to time, she would call or head to his agency to check up on him. But no one ever picked up the phone every time she called. No one even greeted her at the agency every time the bell above the door rang. Dust had already settled on the table where the silver-haired half-demon would put up his feet every time she would enter his office. Cobwebs surrounded his treasured jukebox, and the colored balls on the billiards table left untouched.

She sighed, disappointed as she arrived once more at the god-forsaken precipice. Still nothing. Not even a sign of any demonic presence. Heck. Not even a trace of that whiny demon woman, Trish. She checked her watch for the time. _'It's too early for any other clients,'_ she thought, and so she decided to lurk around the shop, silently hoping for a miracle to happen.

She strolled across the office and curiously looked at the odd relics and nostalgic remembrances that were displayed around it. She looked at the old devil arms that Dante used to have. Some of them already had defects, as the transformations of the devils were imperfect. Thus Dante had to stop using them for a while until he figures out a way to fix them once more. They were displayed in a huge old glass case at the corner of the office. Some of them glowed dimly, others looked dead and lifeless. Right beside the glass case was a desk with what seems to be certain memorabilia from Dante's past missions. The frames of the photos were dusty and it was hard to make up the faces in the photographs. They were all clustered into one side of the desk. Dante wasn't a fan of photographs, but his clients were always eager to take a photo of them beside the demon slayer and treated him like an idol. Something Dante never liked.

Two photos however stood out from the rest. Their frames were painted gold, unlike the old wooden frames that surrounded them. They were also the least dusty of all. One was a photo of a much younger Dante beside his twin brother Vergil. Dante's hair was still part black and it made him look like a skunk, while Vergil's hair was pure white. The two were standing beside each other but there was no warmth that came from either of them. Both of them however were slightly smiling. It was clear to Lady, that this photo was taken at a time when the brothers' were starting to foster some sort of anger towards each other.

The other photo was a photo of his mother's grave. Lady couldn't quite figure out if the photo was taken by Dante himself, or it was given to him by someone else. She did not know when exactly the photo was taken and who it came from. All she knew was that Dante would never take a picture of his mother's grave.

After a few more minutes of strolling around and looking at a couple more outlandish demon relics and remembering Dante's history with it. She decided that there was no hope of meeting Dante that day and it would be best if she would continue on with finishing her clients' requests. She took a last glimpse of the empty leather seat, and headed towards the door.

As she grasped the silver handle of the grand wooden door, she felt a sudden presence of demonic power. It was faint, but she was sure something was in the vicinity, or around it. She closed her eyes to feel its presence. She couldn't tell if it was friendly or hostile. It felt light but tense at the same time. She couldn't tell where exactly the power came from. It was if the power surrounded the whole shop and the source was the shop itself. A few moments later, Lady opened her eyes. The presence vanished.

'It must have been nothing,' she thought as she shook the odd feeling away. Perhaps it was paranoia that took over the moment. Perhaps she felt that someone or something was following her all the way to the shop. Or perhaps her subconscious wished for Dante to be close-by. After all, the reason for her frequent visits and calls to Devil May Cry is grave. If it were an ordinary tip from a client or an informer, she would not ask the powerful demon slayer for his help. But a recent discovery from a mission she took on four months ago drove her to head back to the city and attempt to contact Dante. However, all efforts to talk to him or get information on his whereabouts were futile. As no one knows where he went on his last mission and there were no sightings of him ever since.

But it would not stop her from seeking him. She knew the moment she found out that mission needed Dante's demon hunting prowess, but she also knew that Dante would be very interested with this mission. _'Dante needs this mission more than the mission needs him,'_ she thought as she took a last glance at the photo of him and Vergil before walking out the door.

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There you go! As stated earlier, the continuity of this story depends on the reviews and the quality of my imagination! So please do review, because I also want to continue writing this story. :D

- SufficientlyAwkwardBadass


	2. II - Sigh of Relief

Ah yes, not much activity on this story, but I've decided to update it on a whim. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing this chapter of the story. Thank you to those who left a comment.

**I DO NOT OWN DEVIL MAY CRY.  
**

**Sigh of Relief**

The sun was high and shining and quite oddly, the clouds have dissipated on the usual dark and gloomy city. The rays of the sun poured through the window and filled the room with its gentle warmth. Lady loved the warmth of the sun and always tried to enjoy each valuable day that it was visible. So on this rare occasion, Lady propped herself on the windowsill, her back leaning against the wall, and read a book for some research on a new type of demon that she discovered:

"_The Artemisians are a rare and new breed of demons that reside near the gate of purgatorio. These are one of the first breeds of hybrids. The Artemesians are made by combining a human, punished for successfully escaping the claws of the guards in Purgatorio, and a demon lingering close to the gate. These demons take on human forms but are always unable to do humanly actions such as speaking the human tongue. They are excellent scavengers and very capable hunters. Though most Artemisians have very limited eye-sight (this is due to the eyes of the human half of the Artemisian that was blinded by the light of the world after exiting Purgatorio's gates), they're heightened senses of hearing, feeling, and smelling guide them to their human targets. The Artemisians wield bows made from the bones of their dead human half… "_

Lady's reading has been cut off. She heard a soft whirring on her bedside, and suddenly, Lady is reminded of an on-going high priority task: finding Dante. The whirring sound came from the pendant she retrieved a few months ago and it was the first time the pendant showed such behavior. It's chain was thin and made of pure gold. The pendant was made of a real demon skull, shrunken to the size of her thumb. Two orbs made of blue and red marble filled the hollows of its eye sockets. There were times when she thought the pendant's "eyes" were spinning, but when she blinked her eyes, it would stop and she would berate herself for being too paranoid.

The pendant came from her last full-time mission, a mission that took her a full month to complete. The result of the mission happened to be the reason why Lady had to find Dante. She has been looking for him for four months now and learned that he has been missing for a year. Trish has been missing with him as well.

Every day since she has gotten back to the city Lady has been routinely checking up on Dante's office. When there were no clients needing her assistance in demon hunting she would wait a full day just to get to Dante immediately. Today, even though the sun was high and it would be the perfect day for her to relax her tired bones and aching muscles, should not be any different. There are currently no clients for her and all her daily tasks have been done. She had to go back to Dante's office and check on him once more. So she gently placed her book on the windowsill, and put some proper clothes on for heading out. Since the sun was high and the temperature as well, Lady decided to do away with her usual white blazer, and wore a white tank top. She wore her shorts, strapped on her numerous holsters around her waist and her legs, and laced up her boots. She took her Kalina Ann that was leaning against her bedroom wall and slung it on her shoulder and when she felt ready to leave, she took the now-silent pendant, placed it in her pocket, and left her apartment.

The way from Lady's apartment to Dante's office was not that far and her bike had a new set of upgrades when she got back to the city making her trip faster than before. When she parked her bike in front of Devil May Cry, she took a few minutes to observe her surroundings, checking if there has been any changes done to the exterior of the shop that could give her a sense of recent activity. Nothing. Nothing again.

Had the information she found out been unimportant, she would have left, but this was not the case. She had to make sure that Dante wasn't inside the office before she leaves to ask around the bars where he frequented. She stepped off her bike, her boots making no sound as it tread the ground lightly. She made her way up the steps outside of the office still looking around and keeping her senses up. That was when she sensed a change, an activity. Her eyes widened, staring at floor board right in front of the office door. The dust that should have been lying thick on the wooden floor boards have been wiped off as if someone was trying to cover their tracks. Lady inspected the wooden floor. She knelt down and wiped her finger against it. There was no dust. This was very recent.

Her senses went into overdrive and her hand reached for the gun at her side. She slipped it off her holster and positioned herself, ready to strike if something unfriendly was behind the door. She placed her hand on the knob, turned it gently so she wouldn't be heard from the inside, and rapidly entered, gun held in front of her as her eyes scanned the office.

And the half demon, bloody and slightly thin from when she last saw him, was laying on the couch at the corner of the room beneath the staircase, his back leaning on the arm rest, his gun pointed towards her. Their eyes met and then they lowered their guns both sighing in relief. Something Dante was never known to do, she noticed.

Lady shut the door behind her and walked quickly to Dante suddenly realizing that he was covered in blood and he was slightly thinner than usual. Her heart started racing, suddenly worried for the half-demon, but trying to hide it from her face. _'Thank god I didn't forget to wear shades or I'll never hear the end of it,'_ she thought to herself. "What the hell happened to you?" she asked, trying to act sarcastic, erasing all hints of worry in her voice.

"Hell, babe." He answered smirking at her as he took in her appearance. She still looked as beautiful as he last saw her, the tank top helping him appreciate her physical appearance more. His eyes trailed from her still short hair that framed her face perfectly, the muscles on her arms and the cuts on her shoulders that she probably got from her latest missions, a proof of her hard work and strength, and finally her bre…

"I'll give you hell if you keep staring at me like that," she suddenly spoke and Dante gave off an arrogant laugh. "Oh babe, give me a break, I just got back from hell remember?" he said, unaffected by the glare that he felt she was giving through her shades. She huffed and walked towards his desk and sat on it, feeling his eyes glued to her legs. She took off her shades and shot him another glare, he shrugged and just smirked as he sat up on the couch. She rolled her eyes, slightly frustrated at his actions, usually she would think of a harsh comeback for him about how he was still probably a virgin because no woman would ever have a chauvinistic asshole like him, but something else was on her mind. She felt a lot lighter now that he was back, but also felt a lot heavier because now that he was here, she was about to give him some dark news, and it didn't look like he was in the condition for it. But it was urgent and he had to know somehow, today, even if the information she was about to give him could take a toll on him.

"What's wrong, Lady?" He noticed the change in her mood and saw her space out. It was not like her to space out in front of him. His tone was slightly serious but the childishness within him was still there. He was not in the position to think of something heavy, he was exhausted and for the first time in his half demon life, he was not in the mood to bash any demons at the moment.

"I'm sorry, I can't really think properly when you're covered in demon blood. I could smell it all the way here, Dante," she said, though he could sense that that wasn't it. He humored her though, "This is the scent of masculinity, babe. Don't you like it?" he said sarcastically. Truthfully, he hated the scent of demons on his body. He did not like to be reminded of his own heritage and he also didn't want women to stay away from him because of it either.

"Take a shower you idiot," she told him, an eyebrow rose at his previous remark. He smirked at her and teased her a bit by stepping very close to her, she pushed him away and he walked, still with a smirk, towards his bathroom situated right behind his desk.

"Join me?" he asked her, a sexy and teasing grin flashed at her way. He was always amused at how easily she could be provoked because as quickly as that one of his coveted porn magazines was thrown at his direction. He shut the bathroom door immediately and started to take a shower, a chuckle heard from within.

Lady took the pendant out of her pocket, quite relieved from his acceptance to take a shower. It bought her time to think about how she was going to tell him. There were times when she would just blatantly tell him information of demon activity that she received. There were also times when she would feed the information to him step by step, careful to not give too much information, as it could cost her some precious cash. He would be frustrated of course, but he let it slide, he never liked the appeal of money, he only needed it for his magazines, his weapons, and his shop. But this situation was difficult, the information she had, was not only important, but it was sensitive as well. One miscalculation with her words and he would be off the door without a plan, and without proper preparation.

She twiddled the pendant in her hands suddenly feeling it change its temperature. It was hot for a second, and cold at the next. When its temperature shot to the extremes, Lady felt the need to wear her leather gloves, she took them off from her pocket and wore it to study the pendant without being disturbed from the sting brought by the rapidly changing temperature. Odd. This morning, the pendant was whirring as if to catch her attention. If it hadn't sounded off like that she would have probably forgotten to check up on Dante. And now, now that she found Dante, its temperature was suddenly fluctuating. She felt a certain amount of demon power flowing within the pendant. Perhaps it was because she was closer to Dante that the pendant was showing odd behavior. No, it wasn't perhaps, she was sure of it. The pendant was reacting to Dante's presence.

After all, the one who provided the pendant told her that the pendant would only react to the presence of Sparda's blood.

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I hope you liked the characterization and the sudden little cliff hanger I've written. Please give me a quick review to make me feel better about writing this story.


	3. III - Back

**I will have to warn you, some sexual utterances are on this chapter. It's not lemon though. **

**I do not own Devil May Cry.  
**

**To answer the comment on the previous chapter regarding Dante's answer to where he's been: "Hell, babe.", Dante is being cryptic here, he has not really been to hell, but his previous mission felt like hell.  
**

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**Back**

Dante finished up taking his shower, the blood in his chest, neck, and arms drifted off his skin as the cold water flowed on his body. His thoughts still drifted to Lady. She was acting odd when she first entered his office, a gun was pointed towards him and he saw a flash of tension in her face. Usually when she would enter the shop she would be calm and ready to throw quips regarding his debts and to her opinion, terrible "woman skills". But today, she was almost anticipating an attack from the office. She must have felt that he did not notice the sudden change in her aura, but he had.

Aside from her odd behavior, he also felt a dark source of power emanating from her. It felt weak and powerful at the same time, as if it was trying to hide its true magnitude. He was going to have to investigate on it when the time comes.

When all the blood came off and flowed through the drain in his bathroom, he stepped out of his shower and dried himself off. His body felt heavier than usual, tired from the year-long mission he had at the region of Fortuna. Nero had asked for his help on a mission, and also wanted to return Yamato back to him. He recalled the moment when Nero spoke to him in private, away from the prying eyes of Kyrie's servants.

"_I told you kid, that thing is yours," he told the younger man. It was like looking at a combination of him and his brother, Vergil. Nero was not as tall as him, but he had the humor and quick wit of Dante and the stick-up-the-ass attitude of Vergil, though he reckoned Nero had a smaller stick up his ass than Vergil. _

"_It doesn't seem to want to belong to me," Nero replied. He held the Yamato in front of Dante, and Dante sensed it glowing dimly. Dante held it with his sword arm, and Yamato suddenly glowed brightly that it almost blinded both of them. 'Curious,' he thought. _

"_It was fine the few months that you were gone, I had great fun kicking ass with it, but suddenly it didn't want to seem to do its fancy tricks anymore," Nero continued. Dante continued eyeing the sword. There were no physical signs of damage to it so it couldn't possible because of Nero's frequent use. _

"_It probably missed your shitty sword skills," Nero said, finishing his statement. Dante had suddenly hit the back of Nero's head with his hand for his previous retort. But his concentration was still on the sword. _

"_Nah kid, it was probably tired of your shitty sword skills," Dante told him, a smirk on his face. Nero was supposed to hit Dante at the back of his head with his demon arm, when Dante successfully blocked his attempt. Dante took Yamato's sheathe from Nero, sheathed Yamato and tied it to his belt. "In any case, I'm taking this back to the office for a quick check up. You can come visit me when you have the time. It might be ready for your punk ass, then," Dante said. Nero merely nodded in agreement, forgetting to throw him an insult. "Right, now tell me about this demon you can't extinguish by yourself," Dante said, letting Nero explain as they headed back to inside Kyrie's mansion. _

Dante had finished drying himself up, wore his pants, strapped his belt, and laced up his boots. When he exited the bathroom, he found Lady playing with a pendant, and looking at it curiously. He immediately sensed that the dark presence was caused by it, and it was probably why Lady had come to his shop.

"Is that why you're here?" he asked. Lady's attention towards the pendant suddenly disappeared and she turned his focus to him. She nodded, laying the slightly glowing pendant on his desk. Dante threw the towel on his sofa and walked towards his desk, taking a peak at the odd pendant. He watched the pendant glow brighter as he went towards it. The pendant was that of a demon skull, with marble orbs for its eyes. He felt the urge to touch it, but also felt that the pendant probably spelled trouble for him. He pulled a leather glove from the drawer of his desk, wore it, and gave the pendant a soft poke. He and Lady backed off a bit, as the pendant suddenly burst into a small flame. When the fire subsided, the pendant was still intact.

"I got it from a mission four months ago. A man was looking for me at a bar and gave it to me, saying that it must be given to the son of Sparda, you," she told him, holding the pendant in her hands again. Dante looked at her curiously, how was she able to touch it without the pendant going up in flames?

Lady continued her report to him. "He said the pendant would react strongly to the blood of Sparda, I don't know if it's supposed to kill you, if it is then it's a terrible prank don't you think?" Dante smirked at this, it was true. The pendant was too obvious for it to be an attempt for his life. Nevertheless, its nature was still worth investigating.

"There's more to the story, Dante…" she said softly, a sudden tone of seriousness came from her voice. He looked up at her. His eyebrow rose, as if he didn't know that there was a deeper story to the pendant. Whenever Lady would arrive at his office, every mission she gave him was always deeper than she would let him on. She gave a soft sigh, knowing that he was suspicious once more and she urged him to take a seat. He nodded and kicked his feet up the desk like he always would when they would see each other to exchange information. Lady began to tell him of the mission she had that took her out of the city and how she received the pendant.

_The mission took her to the city of Allura. No one she knew really visited the city, though it was known for its enchanting luxuries. The city was filled with casinos, five-star hotels, expensive but raunchy motels, five-star clubs and down-right-dirty bars. Allura attracted almost every hot shot evil humans and demons from every corner of the world, and in it, every heavenly sin was made available. She would have loved to stayed and make her destroying of every demon alive in the city her heavenly sin. But alas, she had a mission to do, and she decided to return to the city when she was fully prepped and ready to destroy every demon and every human acting like a demon._

_Her mission was to kill a man named Lucas Slater. He was a demon hiding within a human body, and was the leader of one of the world's largest human trafficking ring. He tortured children, murdered men that stood in his way, and raped the women who disobeyed him. He made sure all those he enslaved traveled smoothly to his clients, never caring what those clients could do to them. His clients varied from the leaders of drug rings, slavers, prostitution rings, and smugglers of illegal weapons and expensive black market items. The job, she admitted, was one of the toughest she's ever had because her enemies were a mix of humans and powerful demons. They were well informed of her capabilities and her arsenal and so she had to make use of other strategies to get to Lucas. _

_These "alternate" strategies happened to be the ones she hated the most. So for a full two months, she remade herself into one of the city's highest paid prostitutes. She changed her identity and personality. She grew her hair until it reached her shoulders. She wore bright green contacts to make her look ordinary and stunning at the same time. And she had to discard Kalina Ann in her hotel room during most of her tasks. It was not fun at all. She had to fake a lot of orgasms and earn her client's trust to gain vital information, and fuck her way to the top to grab the attention of Lucas Slater. Once she had his attention, she then had to fuck him almost every day for another full month to lull him into a false sense of security. And on the night when Lucas called off his guards because she promised to give him the best prostitutes and nymphomaniacs he has ever seen, she killed his human form with a snap of her neck. His demon form however, was a lot harder to destroy._

_Nevertheless, he died, and she was able to escape smoothly that night. The next day however when news spread of Lucas' death, almost every demon and demonic human was on the prowl, looking for the Lotus, the prostitute who brought down the one of the world's worst demons. She still could not run though, because of his death, all those that pulled the politician's puppet strings made hotels become suspicious of every woman that attempted to leave the city. Thankfully she was able to throw her green contacts and cut her hair back to its usual without being caught. She also discarded the clothes she used for her cover with much ease. Lady had to wait a full month to escape the god-forsaken city. _

_So during that last month in Allura, she spent her nights in the bar of the hotel. That's when she met the man who gave her the pendant. He knew her secret and promised not to tell anyone that she was the one who killed Lucas if she did him the favor of giving Dante the pendant and listening to its story. _

_The story goes that the pendant was once worn by a hybrid demon, meaning it was part man and part demon. There were only few hybrid demons as only few humans chose to become a demon. She knew that while there were many evil humans in the world, it was rare for a human to choose to undergo the most painful transformation to become a demon and it was rarer still for a human to live after transforming into a demon. The breed of the hybrid demon was unknown, but it was known to be one of the most powerful demon in the island near Allura named Callia. The pendant, though worn by the demon, hung dormant, and it was only when another more powerful demon defeated it, when the pendant shone almost as bright as the sun. _

"Half demon to be precise. The man told me that rumors spread saying that when the half demon came close to the filthy hybrid, the pendant automatically responded and sucked the power of the hybrid demon. The half demon was able to kill the weakened hybrid but the people that witnessed the fight saw the half-demon ignoring the presence of the pendant and how it assisted him in the fight and walked on, leaving the island of Callia," Lady said, ending his story watching Dante's face change from serious to curious to amused but suspicious.

"So… you left out the part on how the man got the funny little accessory and why he thought I liked cheap jewelry." He pointed out. Lady rolled her eyes and answered his question. "He said that he bought it from an old woman running an antique store not far from the hotel I was staying in. He thought that he should deliver it to you because at night when he slept, he heard the pendant whispering, Sparda."

"Right, so how does he know that I, Dante, am a son of Sparda? How did he know that it was you who could bring me the pendant?" he asked, an eyebrow rose still suspicious regarding the necklace.

"You're famous in the city of Allura, I believe you belong to the top of the most wanted list there. I don't know how he knew that I was associated with you, all I know is he said he knew that I was a demon hunter as well and that I could, for some miracle, know you. So what do you think of it?"

"He's right, you know. You should consider it a miracle that you met a guy like me," he joked earning another glare from the dark-haired woman.

Lady just continued glaring at him silently, waiting for him to speak. "All right, all right...", he went on talking about his plans on the pendant "We don't know the real history of this pendant but it certainly feels like it's something worth looking into. I think…"

"I think it's from Vergil."

Dante's mood turned from intrigued to serious from Lady's blatant suggestion.

"He's dead, Lady. I personally looked into that, remember?" He reminded her, but the thought of his brother still alive made his heart beat faster, he felt a certain high. The day they worked together to defeat Lady's father, Arkham, was the day Dante knew that there was still some good in Vergil's heart and they could continue running their business together.

"I know, Dante. But this is something we should look into. A half demon defeating one of the most powerful hybrid demons all by himself? Not to blow up your ego into the size of a hot air balloon, but you're the only half demon I know capable of such. In fact, you're the only half demon I know." Lady explained. Not able to resist, Dante gave Lady a small smirk, to which Lady repaid by rolling her eyes. He then turned serious and took a moment to understand all the facts.

"A pendant that reacts strongly to my presence, a half demon known to roam about… Lady aside from that, we don't really have proof that Vergil's back. That pendant, along with other devil arms react to my blood as well. I know you hate me so much babe, but do you really want my brother that much? You know I could give you more." Dante gloated. There was a disappointed tone on his voice before his boisterous remark. Dante really wanted Vergil back, but he was not about to run half way round the world just to be disappointed and find a stranger who probably doesn't want anything to do with him or his team anyway.

Lady was silently waiting for Dante to finish his conclusion, not even giving a reaction to his sarcasm, before giving out her own take.

"Aside from that babe, we shouldn't really even bother this half demon, he's actually doing the world a service by getting rid of that hybrid. So let's leave him alone, shall we? He's probably not as good looking as me either."

Lady rolled her eyes, frustrated by his sarcasm and ego. She didn't expect him to act this way and deny the possibility that his brother could be alive and walking this earth. Perhaps it was because he's been disappointed over and over again from his missions that made him hope for his brother's return. Though he did his best to hide it, Lady always felt his presence become darker with every mission that brought his hopes down.

Lady shook her head, acknowledging the fact that there weren't really many facts to go on when it came to Vergil's return. "I just thought he'd be there, you know. Everything that happened to me in that city, even with the arrival of that weird guy didn't feel circumstantial." She explained, not even bothering to continue the debate anymore.

"That's that babe. You could keep the pendant, I'm not a fan of jewelry anyway." He replied. And with that he started to call for a pizza delivery. Lady just sat on his desk, looking at the pendant and watching it glow dimly. Dante could see the disappointed look on Lady's face. _'It seems as if she's been waiting for me to hear this for a long time…' _he thought. He shrugged it off, not wanting to fill his heart with hope that his brother's back.

Lady was about to walk out of the office, when she heard a familiar voice from the office's second floor loft.

"Dante, what's Yamato doing back here? I thought you gave it back to Nero after you last spoke?"

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Thank you for reading, I hope you liked this chapter, yes I really like placing little cliff hangers. Read and review. :)


	4. IV - Jewelry Inspection

**To answer the comment on Chapter 2, this fanfiction is based on the game, however, I might take some references from the anime as well, if I see it fit the storyline. **

**I do not own Devil May Cry.**

**Jewelry Inspection**

The voice from behind Lady came from Trish, Dante's partner in demon hunting. Lady thought Trish had just woken up from her slumber in the office's make-shift bedroom loft in the second floor. But it seems Trish has been listening on her conversation with Dante. Dante could see Trish's curious eyes as she stared from Dante to Lady, and back to Dante as well, a small smirk formed her lips. Dante rolled his eyes, it looks like he wasn't going to hear the end of the "Vergil-is-back" theory yet.

Trish made her way down the stairs, there were no physical changes, Lady noticed, as Trish's blonde hair cascaded down to her lower back, and she still looked like Dante's mother. It did not seem as if Trish experienced the same hell Dante did in the region of Fortuna. Trish gave Lady a mischievous smile. "Ahhh, Lady. You're always the bearer of bad news whenever you're around," she said to Lady. And Lady answered with a smirk. "Good to see you again, Trish. I expect you had a lovely time back in?... Where were you guys again?" Lady asked.

"Fortuna, and yes I had the most wonderful time back there, now that there was only one demon to get rid of, and that was Dante's job…" Dante had to roll his eyes back then, recalling how Trish just left him to handle with the huge ass beast. "And while you have not encountered a half demon, aside from our big ol' buffoon here, I have." Trish answered, as she sat back on the black couch underneath the staircase. Lady retreated from the office's door. Her curiosity peaked as she walked back and sat on Dante's desk to listen to Trish's story. Dante watched the two ladies have a conversation, relieved that Trish was taking his side on Lady's theory that Vergil is back. Or so he thought.

"The other half demon's name is Nero, he also has a devil trigger, just like our boy over there," Trish motioned to Dante, and Dante gave Lady a grin and a wave. "He's adorable, naïve, and quite disappointingly, we don't know if he has any trace to Sparda's blood." Lady silently listened, legs crossed and arms folded, Kalina Ann leaning against her right leg. Trish continued. "He's the devil boy we met in Fortuna, you know, where you led us in the mission without paying us the proper amount." Lady merely smirked at this retort still listening intently to the information.

"Anyway, apparently Nero wanted Dante to come back, to give back Yamato. See, Dante here, gave Nero Yamato because it reacted to his demonic power, and also because he was feeling heroic. This is confirmed because we found Nero to have one arm of his, in a permanent, devil trigger state. Quite powerful. But wait… I'm sure you know what Yamato is, right?"

"Vergil's sword."

Trish nodded and continued the discussion. "Nero felt Yamato's power dwindling, and it was no longer producing the effect that Nero was used to. He believed it wanted to return to Sparda's bloodline."

"He never said that, Trish." Dante interjected, trying to wriggle his way off the fact that Yamato's sudden disloyalty to Nero could also be a sign that Vergil could be alive.

"You can't get yourself off of this one, Dante. I was watching you and Nero discussing on the day you arrived. I confirmed it with Kyrie. Nero knew that it had to be returned to you." Trish replied. "I'm sorry, Kyrie?" Lady asked. "Nero's girlfriend," Trish replied quickly, her eyes not leaving Dante. Lady and Trish looked at Dante, their eyebrows raised. Why was Dante denying the possibility that Vergil could be back?

Dante sighed and decided to put a stop to it all. "Listen ladies, I know you may think that I would want to go on this expedition for my brother, okay. But there's no point to this. If Vergil was alive, he would have looked for me, or used someone to get to me, alright?" Dante explained to the two ladies, trying to convince them not to go looking for Vergil. The two girls merely stared at Dante, making him feel like he was singled out again.

"But the man who gave me the pendant, Dante. Don't you think that could be a calling card from Vergil?" Lady answered back. Dante was about to open his mouth, but decided not to dwell on it anymore. He shook his head and opened up a weapons magazine from his drawer to read, ignoring the two women.

The two women continued their discussion on Yamato, and its sudden change of heart. "Tell me more about Yamato." Lady asked Trish, and Trish was happy to oblige. She beckoned Lady to sit beside her as they spoke in low voices of how the mission that took Trish and Dante back to the city of Fortuna went.

_It was odd to find themselves back in the city of Fortuna. The people were definitely at peace now, but there were so few of them. So many people died during the onslaught of demons caused by Agnus and Sanctus. Trish had left Dante and Nero alone while they investigated the trace of a huge demonic power running under the city. It seems Nero was unable to close a hell gate somewhere below the city, and he believes the demon could have come from the gate itself. Dante asked Trish to stay above ground, to protect Kyrie and the children at Kyrie's orphanage as per request of Nero. Kyrie often spoke to Trish, claiming that she felt lonely and she rarely spoke to a fellow female. However, Trish felt that Kyrie wouldn't really want to talk to Trish because of their glaring differences. Kyrie was conservative and cautious and shy. Trish, was the opposite. It was then revealed to Trish that Kyrie wanted to know about Nero's condition, and wanted to talk to Trish about Yamato. _

"_Nero, wouldn't admit it to Dante, Trish. But I was with Nero on a routine task to get rid of minor demons. I heard Nero scream and wince, when not even a demon was close to him. It was as if Yamato sucked some of Nero's power when he unsheathed Yamato. Nero had to use Red Queen instead."_

_Trish found it odd, that Yamato would suddenly react to Nero in that way. Kyrie however, was more concerned about Nero._

"_When we went back to the mansion, Nero was studying Yamato. It stopped sucking out Nero's power, but he muttered something about it rejecting his presence. Then Nero dropped the sword, and it cut the table in half. Nero backed away from it, and told me to get out. I did, and he tried to shut the door but he was too distracted by Yamato to even see me taking a look at what was actually happening. I saw Yamato shake violently, and it… it… it tried to kill Nero." Kyrie explained, with tears in her eyes. Trish's eyes widened. Yamato, trying to kill Nero? But Yamato, was awakened when Nero was close to it, so why would it want to kill Nero? _

_Trish asked Kyrie to give a more detailed account when she was calmer. It turns out, Yamato tried to stab Nero in the heart, but Nero was able to dodge all its attempts to kill him. After a long time of dodging, and causing damage to the room, Nero unwrapped the bandages that hid his demon arm, and was able to clutch on to Yamato's hilt with his demon hand. That was when Yamato shone brightly, almost blinding Nero and Kyrie, and dimmed quickly. After that, Nero was unable to bring back the old effects of Yamato; it was as if Yamato was dying in Nero's hands. _

_At the end of the mission, when we were about to leave, Dante wanted to give Yamato back to Nero, but Nero practically pleaded Dante to fix it first. Dante never knew that Yamato tried to kill Nero, and Trish saw Dante reluctantly take it back._

Lady took the whole story in and processed it. It happened a short time before the pendant ended up in the hands of the stranger that gave it to Lady. She was fully convinced now that the pendant was for Dante, and it was a sign of Vergil's probable return. Lady and Trish smirked. The two of them turned towards Dante, excited to convince him to reconsider the investigation. They noticed that Dante's back was turned against them while he was reading the weapons magazine. Clearly he wasn't in the mood to discuss it anymore. Lady rolled her eyes and sighed, Trish folded her arms and was about to call that, but never was able to, because suddenly, a knock on the door was heard and a voice called out. "Yo! I have three boxes of pizza here for a… Dante."

Dante walked hurriedly to the door, wanting to escape from the discussion of his brother's return. He opened the door, got the three boxes from the delivery guy, who was a hell-of-a-lot smaller than him and was quivering when he saw him, paid him and shut the door. He then laid the three boxes on top of the billiards table, turned his jukebox on, maxed out its volume, and turned his back on Lady and Trish. Not wanting to talk about the pendant or Yamato anymore.

Lady merely raised an eyebrow and looked to Trish for some help on convincing the half demon. Trish however was more interested on the pendant that Lady held in her hand.

"May I see that pendant?"

Lady took a look at the pendant, inspecting to see if the pendant would react to Trish's nature or not. The pendant continued to glow dimly even when Trish was getting close to it. Lady tossed the pendant to Trish and Trish inspected the pendant carefully.

"There's something very peculiar about this pendant, aside from its terrible taste." Trish said thoughtfully. She let the pendant's chain twirl around her fingers as she tried to sense its power. Trish, being a product of Mundus, could sense demonic powers more than Dante or Lady can. She stared into its orbs and saw the mysterious yet somewhat familiar power swirling from within them. Trish's gut feeling told her to inject some small level of her power to the pendant, and so she did. Summoning electric current to her hands, she held the pendant tightly, trying to understand the power within. She closed her eyes and began to sense the pendant's powers.

Lady stood back, watching Trish's hands be consumed with electric current, a purple glow flowing around her. _"How convenient of her..."_ Lady thought to herself, watching Trish in sheer concentration as her long blonde hair flowed with the power that radiated from her and the pendant. Dante turned around to watch Trish do her work. She looked calm and concentrated at the same time. It was his first time seeing Trish use her electric abilities in a different way and curiosity got the best of him. With a slice of pizza in hand, he walked close to her, watching the blonde, demon woman.

A few seconds later, a booming voice came from the small pendant, "NELO ANGELOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Trish stopped the current running from her hands and threw the pendant unknowingly towards Dante's direction. Lady caught the pendant before it even reached Dante, for fear of the pendant reacting strongly against Dante's blood. Dante's eyes widened for a moment, a sudden rush of emotions stirring within him, but he looked stoic as ever.

All three of them stood together, stunned. Trish looked at Dante, understanding what the name meant to the two of them. It was the name given to Vergil by Mundus, when Mundus defeated him. Lady looked at Dante, understanding whose voice the scream came from. It was Arkham's voice, Lady's father, who had one of the most evil hearts. Dante looked at the two of them, a thousand questions rushing through his head, and he was trying to come up with a conclusion to all the confusion. There was no doubting it anymore; someone was definitely back from the past. But who? Was it his brother, Vergil? Or was it Arkham? How could they be back? Dante made sure Vergil was dead. Lady made sure Arkham was dead. It was definitely impossible for the two of them to be back. And if they were back? What was Vergil planning? Or what was Arkham planning? And why did the name call "Nelo Angelo," and not Vergil, when clearly Arkham never saw Mundus taking control of Vergil.

He looked into Lady's and Trish's eyes, with Lady being the most affected of them all. She had not expected to hear her father's voice. She was in a state of shock, her body all tensed up. Trish looked at Lady realizing that the sole human in the group had frozen, staring at the piece of god-forsaken jewelry with her eyes wide in disbelief. The pendant continued to glow, but the orbs were now spinning rapidly, all three of them trying to make up their own conclusions to what just happened, all three of them knowing that they had to come up with something fast before something disastrous occurs.

One thing is for certain, someone was back.

**Right. Thank you very much for the reviews you've given me and for the follows as well. It gets all filled with action and more suspense from here on out, and perhaps I'll drop miniscule hints of romance to come in the next few chapters. Definitely there are a lot of questions probably running in your heads too, but all of that will unfold into something grand quite soon, and your questions shall be answered little by little. **


	5. V - Do We Even Need A Plan

**Thank you for the reviews so far. This chapter was particularly difficult to write because I'm scared of revealing any big twists and answers. I want you guys to see how Dante, Lady, and Trish work together first, especially since they should be a stealthy group, than a head on action type of group, which is definitely their type. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Do We Even Need a Plan?**

Lady was still horrorstruck by the pendant, but she was slowly gaining composure. Dante was still a little bit irked by the unexpected voice. And Trish, not understanding what it was that Lady was silent about, looked at her curiously. It was Lady that spoke first, suddenly wearing her sunglasses, protecting her eyes from getting any more curious and concerned looks.

"That was Arkham." She spoke softly. Dante looked at her with serious eyes. He had dealt with deadly and demonic humans before, but Arkham was the worst. He was not only the strongest human, but he was also the most despicable. He had killed his wife for the sake of unleashing hell into the world, and was about to kill his own daughter, Lady, to complete the ceremony. Dante merely nodded in Lady's direction, not knowing what to say or to do next to comfort Lady. "We have to do something about this." She said. Dante nodded again and the two fell silent for a while.

Trish suddenly spoke up, confused by the pair's reaction to the pendant. "Dante… who's Arkham?" She asked. She could understand that the pendant's sudden revelation was a cause for shock, but she had not expected this kind of reception. Something was up between Dante and Lady, and it was clear to her that she had been left out of this mission. She is aware that Dante and Lady have worked before she even met Dante, but she had not known their missions, or their actual relationship with each other.

Dante looked towards Trish, choosing his words wisely as to not offend Lady. The matter of Arkham, was a matter of utmost sensitivity, and if Lady chose to reveal Arkham's full story, that will be the only time Dante would speak of him in his true light.

"He was the reason why we met." Dante replied, looking at Lady's face to confirm if he chose his words well. He grinned, when he saw Lady's lips curve into a half-smirk and half-knowing smile. The memories of Arkham were not all bitter, Lady thought, because without her ass-hole excuse of a father, she would have never met Dante. She would have always been naïve and ignorant on the fact that some demons, like Dante, and Trish, had good souls. And some humans, like Arkham, had none.

Trish rolled her eyes at the sentiment that Dante and Lady shared, and decided to take control of the confusing situation. "Well, since we have a common link, the two of you knowing this Arkham guy, and Dante and I knowing, Vergil as Nelo Angelo. We should start there don't you think? "

Lady nodded a smirk on her face, deeming it safe to move, she pocketed the pendant. And the two of them positioned themselves leaning at separate edges of the desk, as Dante sat in his chair kicking his feet up again, and returned to enjoying his pizza. Trish proceeded to explain Vergil as Nelo Angelo to Lady. Both Dante and Trish explained that Nelo Angelo, was actually Vergil, but he was named thus because it was a form of devil trigger that Mundus, prince of darkness, used to possess his soul. Vergil died in the hands of Dante though, but there were rumors of the other half-demon's soul lurking in hell, trying to gain its strength. When they finished, Trish then inquired on Arkham.

"So what exactly do we know about Arkham?" Trish asked, trying to formulate a strategy. Lady felt slightly uneasy but decided that she had to press on and hide her sentiments on her son-of-a-bitch father. Dante felt this and tried to interject, "I'm sorry but do we really need to think of a pla-"

"He's an expert in dark magic. He almost opened Temen-ni-Gru once by tricking Dante and Vergil." Lady answered. Dante nodded, continuing Lady's statement, half surprised and half impressed that Lady was willing and able to press on the issue of her father. "This guy is a whack-job. He's human, definitely, and he wanted to become a demon so badly and unleash chaos into the world. And not just any demon, he wanted to be like my dad... in terms of power, of course."

"Tsk. As if things weren't bad enough here." Lady commented. Dante smirked at this, and continued. "Anyway, we've seen him resurrect before, and we've seen this nutjob have a sort-of multiple personality disorder. He used a disguise to make me think that he's cooperating with me, that snake."

"Quite a magician, you've met there," Trish commented. Lady nodded and rolled her eyes at the memory of being fooled into her father's stupid act. "He's resurrected before, but I personally saw to it that he would die and that's it, no more return-to-sender moments from there. He died in my hands," Lady continued supplying Trish with the information she only needed.

"His physical form and his demonic power to resurrect is gone, you mean?" Dante and Lady nodded. Trish took a moment to consider the facts. She's never seen a human resurrect or use a disguise before. She's heard of humans skilled in the dark arts, but never has she heard a human be so powerful to do both. If they've seen him come back from the dead before, it's also possible for it to happen again. Unless his soul has found its way to a demon body, but that was incredibly improbable. Improbable yes, but not impossible.

"What? Do you think it's possible for a human soul, thrown in the pits of hell, to come back here in the world?" Lady asked, almost like reading Trish's mind.

"Well, he is a big fan of our horny little friends down south. He could have found a way to make his ass here and set them little creatures free." Dante spoke, considering the possibility of Arkham's return. Lady shook her head in disbelief. The possibility of her getting in touch with her dear-old papa, was not something she wanted to get on. Trish however was half amused and half curious, naïve to the fact that they were discussing Lady's father.

"If that's the case, where do we start?" Lady asked, looking at Trish and Dante with all seriousness. "This pendant says Arkham is probably alive, but Yamato, is something different. We can't just throw away the fact that Vergil could be back as well. It's either Vergil, Arkham, or both of them" Trish and Dante agreed. It may have been Arkham's voice that they heard, but it doesn't explain Yamato's odd behavior. Taking a moment to consider all this, Dante made the first move. "We head to the island of Callia. After all, that's where the man got the pendant right?"

Lady nodded, suddenly remembering the man who gave her the pendant, trying to remember all his facial features. He was definitely as tall as her father, and the body structure was slightly similar, except that this man looked a decade younger than her father and was considerable more muscular. He also had dark brown hair that was pushed back. There was a possibility that the man was her father in disguise once again, perhaps using more of his manipulation tricks. Remembering this, she told herself she would never be fooled by him again. She decided however, that she would keep quiet about this revelation, until the man's identity is confirmed. She stood straight and fixed the strap of Kalina Ann.

"Callia Island it is," said Trish. She agreed with the statement and headed up the staircase to retrieve her weapons at the office's loft. Dante stood up as well, finishing his pizza, headed to his weapon rack and prepared the devil arms that he would need: Lucifer, Nevan, Giglamesh, and Agni and Ruda, along with Yamato, and his standard weapons, Rebellion and Ebony and Ivory. Lady helped herself to some sharp daggers that she found displayed near Dante's weapon rack, slipping them in an empty satchel strapped to her leg.

The three meet at the doorway of Dante's office, with Trish and Lady walking at either side of Dante. Dante looks at Trish and Lady, about to kick the door of the office, just like before at the last case that the three of them worked on, when Lady suddenly intercedes. "Don't blame me when the repair bill is charged on you again," she said, a smirk painted on her lips as she saw Dante's exasperated sigh. He takes both door handles and swings it out open, strong enough to create the wind effect he was aiming for. Lady and Trish look at each other, both sighing at Dante's incessant need for a grand entrance, or in this case exit. They walked towards their own big bikes and drove off to start their journey to the island of Callia, with Lady leading the way.

* * *

The three arrived just outside the boundaries of Allura City. To get to the island of Callia, they had to pass through the city. It was the closest, but also the most dangerous passage. It was dangerous, because Allura was a haven for all kinds of heavenly evils that exist in the world. Gambling, prostitution, alcohol, drugs, mafias, human trafficking, name it. Allura has it. And only the big guys could play underground. Aside from it being heavily dosed with all kinds of pleasurable sins, it is also heavily guarded to protect its sinful citizens. Since, Lady knew that Dante was one of the most wanted devil hunters in the vicinity they had to devise a plan to sneak him inside the city, just so they could go through the actual outskirts of the city to get to the port.

The three of them parked their bikes at the nearest motel and had separate rooms. Lady wondered why Trish and Dante had gone on separate rooms, when it always felt to her that they were some sort of a couple. Perhaps she was mistaken. Nevertheless, she brushed the observation aside, and prepared herself for her arrival at the city.

Lady was also one of the devil hunters in the city's wanted list, but she is more able to sneak in and out because of her ability to blend with the crowd and remain undetected. The three planned for Lady to get inside the city and figure out a way for Dante to get in without a problem. She has decided to use her subtle skills and prepared a proper disguise. Near the motel was a small plaza, it had a fair number and variety of shops and so she decided to buy herself a new set of clothes and a pair of blue contacts to hide her heterochromia. Her outfit consisted of a black strapless mini sundress, her traditional sun glasses, black ankle boots, and a sun hat. She also considered taking off her Kalina Ann, and bringing only with her a handgun and a knife strapped to her upper thighs.

When Lady was donned in her new outfit, she stepped out of her small room, and headed out of the motel. She did not consider bringing her big bike, because it would be odd to find a woman wearing a dress to drive one. She hailed a cab outside the motel and headed to the gates of the city.

When one enters the city of Allura, they are inspected at the gates of the city. Weapons are usually allowed in the city because it is common for humans and demons dwelling in it, to kill each other. When two mafias, or two enemy drug rings, are on war, it is almost always required to bring a weapon with you at all times. Because of its infamous reputation however, it attracts a lot of bounty hunters and devil hunters, and therefore, whatever transportation you use to get inside the city, you will be asked for your identification.

Unless, you're a very pretty and rich woman who only wants to get away from her bastard husband who abuses her.

"I'm so sorry Sir, I was in a hurry to get out of the house because my husband could come home any moment. I needed to run away from all of that. And I… I… just want to forget it all… I'm sorry…" Lady appealed. Her voice was soft, and gentle, and had the slightest quiver for effect. The two guards stared at each other, frustrated and getting slightly annoyed at the sign of the woman tearing up. The cab driver raised his eyebrow but stayed silent. The woman he picked up came from a motel. Not a suburban village. But that wasn't his business.

"She doesn't seem harmless," one of the men in black and gold concluded. The other man nodded and let the cab pass through. Lady had a smirk in her face. She hated acting, but fooling others gave her a little power trip.

The cab took her to the tallest building in the city. It was the classiest casino and hotel in the city, and also the most expensive. Thankfully, in her four months in the area, she was able to find an insider in the hotel and get her to one of the executive suites. She simply asked for one of the top managers at the concierge, and the manager took her to the second highest floor in the building. She wouldn't stay long though. She will only do surveillance in the city to identify its weak points, and possible passage ways for Dante to reach the port. It will not take her long, since she still remembered the weak points, where few surveillance cameras were set up and few guards patrolled the area. Using a pair of binoculars, she scanned the area and noted in her head the times when the patrols would shift, the number of surveillance cameras, and the presence of check points. It took her a full four hours to discover the best route to the port. It wasn't a hundred percent safe, but she was sure Dante, and Trish could handle it. She discovered as well, that there was another gate a few kilometers away from the previous gate she entered and that she could go through that gate to not raise any suspicion. She decided that the best and easiest way for her to get Dante in the city was to split up. She was going to take Dante with her, while Trish could easily just go straight for the port since she wasn't in any wanted list. With a satisfied smirk, she left the executive suite to head back to the motel where she left Trish and Dante.

* * *

Dante and Lady were at the top of a hill overlooking the second gate she found that morning. It was dusk was about to set, and it meant that the guards were about to switch.

"Babe, you sure about this? Cause you know if we get caught I'm about to rain hell on them." Dante looked over. He was not one who specialized in stealth. His physicality alone screamed danger and power. Lady merely smirked at his question, wore her bike helmet and left rode ahead towards the direction of the gate. Dante watched her, riding his helmet as well to hide his identity, and sped ahead.

As she neared the gate, the two guards stood in attention. They warned the mysterious rider to slow down and when it would not yield, they raised their guns. Lady then raised her bike, so that it was riding on one wheel, got and prepped her gun and shot both guards with one bullet each. Dante followed suit, disabling the surveillance camera that hung at the gate, his face unseen.

The pair entered the city and discarded their bike outfits and helmets. In Dante's case, he took off his jacket, and took his coat from the bike's compartment. Lady tapped her foot impatiently as Dante fumbled and straightened his jacket. He looked at her, smirked when he was finished, and headed off, gun and weapons at the ready.

**Thank you for reading! Please do review! I am thankful for those of you who do review every chapter I post. You guys keep me going in this, and I hope you liked this chapter! Don't worry, real gun slinging and sword wielding action will start next chapter. And also, some "other" kind of action will happen in the next chapter between Lady and Dante as well. ;) **


	6. VI - Revelations

**Hello everyone! I am really excited about this chapter because this will give us all a picture of how Dante and Lady's relationship will go on this mission. Yes, I feel all giddy now that I'm about to write it. Anyway! Thank you for your wonderful support! And please enjoy this chapter.**

**Oh yeah, I have to warn you once more, that there will be some sexual mentions in this chapter, this will soon be rated an M story and I apologize if this is not how you wanted it to be, but this is how I've planned the story from the very beginning. I assure you however that what will happen here will be the start of defining the pairing's relationship. **

* * *

**Revelations**

Lady and Dante have entered the city safely. The city will be alerted by the entrance of only one trespasser. After all, it was Lady's figure they saw in the camera before it was disabled by Dante, and so they will be searching for a demon huntress. Lady still had her blue contacts on. However she changed into her traditional black shorts, white blouse, and black combat boots. Dante however, had fully strapped his coat. It did not help his disguise though, because he still had his silver hair, and he wasn't at all willing to wear a wig. Nevertheless, Lady still felt it was safe for him to travel, because though his hair stood out, there were citizens in Allura who had silver hair as well. It will be a bother however if they ran into any guards and demon onlookers who were surveying the area. To be honest, Dante wasn't used to this kind of fighting, hiding in the shadows and such. He was used to head on collisions of swords and firepower, and he really did not mind the noise of his many enemies as they run towards him in an attempt to cut him down. But Lady and Trish insisted that the subtle road to the answer of their questions was best. Only when they knew what they were dealing with, would they go for their traditional brutal and no-holds-barred ways.

The two walked within the alleys of the city, trying to avoid as many surveillance cameras as possible. They had to quietly put down a couple of guards on the way to cross some streets, and they had to disable a couple more surveillance cameras to avoid being detected. The two were silent as they moved from street to street and block to block. Dante attempted to make small talk with Lady but he realized that she was too deep in her strategy. She would only speak to him, when needed. Dante has never seen this side from Lady. He has heard of her prowess in assassinations but he always thought she was a head on kind of hunter, like him. There were times when he received glares from her, when his attacks had flourishes and outrageous moves. He would shrug casually whenever she did so. But she would always shake her head and move on, making him scratch his head and observe her movements quietly instead.

Dante watched as Lady's nimble body moved from cover to cover to disable the surveillance cameras. Her body moved smoothly and gracefully. The tasks were simple enough, but the way she looked as she moved felt so hard to execute, and there were times when Dante is left with his mouth half open. To him, it felt like she was dancing.

Each task seemed easier and easier as they moved from block to block. Dante was able to suppress his flamboyancy with each kill he made. Lady's movements were faster and lighter with each surveillance camera she disabled. He was starting to appreciate her skills more and more. Sure, he wouldn't be able to look cool and let his enemies bask in his awesomeness with each kill he made. But it certainly made things easier for him.

The two were now three blocks away from the port, and Dante felt his excitement growing with each kill, and each street they crossed safely. But Lady knew the final blocks would be the most difficult. The port was an important asset to the city of Allura. The drugs, the prostitutes, and the weapons of the powerful ring leaders in the city resided in the area. Lady knew that she and Dante had to tread carefully or it would be the end of their disguise and sneaking around in the city.

Lady signaled Dante to slow down, after he put a guard to "sleep" by snapping his neck. He raised an eyebrow as he observed to what Lady was pointing at. Slowly, his head turned to the direction Lady was pointing to. And he saw it. More than a dozen guards and demons were on the prowl about fifty meters ahead of them. He smirked at the challenge. Was this his chance to shine?

As if Lady could read Dante's expression, she immediately shook her head to make him realize that no, she did not want to make a blood fest out of the situation. He gave her a pout but listened to her anyway as he walked towards her waiting for her plan. As he leaned against the wall she was leaning on, he observed her porcelain-like face. She was deep in thought, biting her lips softly, eyes cast down, trying to reach to a brilliant idea. He had never really relied on her like this in all their missions, and only looked to her for information. It was always him who would do the demon bashing and bloody his hands, but this time, it was her taking the lead. It was definitely something he wasn't used to. Then again, he never really was a thinker when it came to all his missions. This stealth-like strategy was a first. But for Lady, this must be her nth time.

Lady thought hard. It felt like there was no choice but to expose them, but there had to be another way to get into the port with only few casualties. She was snapped out of her reverie when Dante tapped her shoulders, indicating that his highly capable senses could hear a group of guards heading their way. Lady panicked, her heart beating rapidly and her mind suddenly reaching overdrive as she had to think of a plan quickly. Her eyes widened suddenly as she came to an idea. It was going to be difficult for Dante, this was not something she would actually think of but there was no choice. They had to move now, or their cover would be blown. She took a deep breath as she executed her plan.

Dante watched Lady's expressions change from panic to determination, and suddenly he saw a hint of worry in her eyes. He saw her take a deep breath before she beckoned him to come closer to her and bend down, to listen to whatever she would whisper to him. But what happened next wasn't what he was expecting in his lifetime.

As the guards were about to appear at their side, Lady kissed Dante deeply. Dante's eyes widened and his whole body tensed. He could feel Lady's small hands run through his hair softly suddenly realizing her plan. This was too cliché, even for him, but there was no choice. He went with the flow, kissing her deeply as the guards turned to stare at the two "lovers." He heard her moan softly, not knowing if the kiss was fake or not. He could feel the guards just staring at them and suddenly he felt her push her whole frame against him. His eyes widened once more and his limbs stiffened more. What was worse was, his limbs were not the only ones stiffening at the ministrations of Lady. _'FUCK! WHY AREN'T THEY LEAVING?!_' Dante thought to himself. If Lady was the one panicking awhile ago, now it was his turn.

Lady just kept going and going, pushing herself to him more, moaning more and more, trying to coax Dante to do more. She was frustrated at the fact that she had to do this to him, that she had to play the part that she was playing for their protection. She moved to open the buttons on her blouse and she could feel Dante attempting to stop her, but she grabbed his wrists, broke the kiss off and turned to the officers at their side.

The officers were just staring at them, watching the two make out with much interest. _'GEEZ! DON'T THEY KNOW THAT WHEN PEOPLE MAKE OUT, THEY SHOULD MOVE ON WITH THEIR LIVES!' _Dante thought. He wondered why Lady was about to undress a second ago, and why she was stopping him from stopping her. He saw her suddenly wink at the officers and they took a few steps closer to her as she unbuttoned her blouse more. His eyes widened even more, overwhelmed by all her actions. Realization hit him so hard he almost thought that she just slapped him physically. She wasn't playing the lover card, she was pretending to be a prostitute.

She turned to him and pouted sexily. "I'm sorry sir, but I like to be around a lot of men. I hope you don't mind?" She told him. Dante felt like his breath was knocked out of him, and not for good reasons at all. This was so wrong. He's heard Lady tell him stories of her having to use her sexuality to get to her targets, and frankly it made him feel upset and angrier at demons, but he never thought that he was going to witness this himself.

The officers smirked at her, and she saw him just staring at her blankly. She inwardly rolled her eyes. He was making this difficult for her. So she pulled him from his collar and whispered in his ear, "This will be fun. I promise." She licked the shell of his ear, and she felt him shudder then she pulled him so that his face would meet hers, and he would see her eyes as she flashed him a malicious look.

He got the idea. He nodded and let the four officers come close to her as she moved backwards towards the wall. Too distracted by Lady's body and sexual actions, the officers did not realize Dante circle behind them. Lady saw him look at the officers furiously. She could feel his anger growing, and with it, the demonic power surging within his body. She felt scared and at the same time, she felt a sudden warm feeling at her gut. Was he this concerned for her safety? Suddenly, as the one of the officers grabbed at her breasts, Dante unsheathed Yamato and slashed all four officers' heads.

As the four severed heads and its former bodies fell to the ground, Lady stared at Dante's face. His face turned from anger to suddenly, no emotions at all. She did not know if Dante saw her realizing his reactions to her portrayal. She knew he was trying to hide his reactions, and to keep his anger down. But she felt his demon powers pulsing strongly through him, she knew he was trying to suppress it. She had half a mind to ask him the questions that were racing through her head. But she knew that she had to concentrate at the task at hand. So as Dante sheathed Yamato, Lady buttoned her blouse and fixed herself and gain her composure. Her mind tried its best to forget all about Dante's fuming reaction so she could quickly formulate another plan to get to the port without making such a commotion. She was in a hurry now, trying to ignore the fear slowly growing inside her as she tried to shun the image of Dante's furious face. The faster they got out of there, the better she could relax and breathe. But even as she moved forward and thought of her plan, she was still trying to understand why Dante reacted that way to her "exhibition".

This was not how she expected Dante to be. Or was it the other way around? Was this not how Dante expected Lady to be? Didn't she say that she had to do things she didn't really want to, to reach her targets? Didn't it always seem to her that he was fine with that, as long as she got the job done? Then she realized… Dante never said if he felt okay with her using her body to kill her targets.

But why must she be concerned with Dante's feelings in the first place?

She was suddenly brought back to reality when she heard rapid gun fire coming from their left, accompanied by the sound of electricity. She looked at the group of men guarding the port area, and saw them running towards the direction of the gun fire.

So much for being discrete.

* * *

**Yes, I know it is hard to see Lady's way of thinking when she is under pressure. But as you can see, the event showed a bit of how the two felt for each other. I still feel giddy and excited about all this, and I hope you do too. I really need your feedback for this chapter so that I know how you felt about this revelation. Of course, I can't guarantee that I will change how things go based on your reactions, but I will try to be more sensitive in my writing style when it comes to chapters like these. **


	7. VII - Humanity

**Thank you for all the support you guys have been giving me so far. Hahaha. I never thought you guys would be this faithful to my fanfiction, and the fact that you guys review every single time I post motivates me to keep going. It doesn't matter the number of people reviewing. I value loyalty more! **

**To answer a question posted for the previous chapter, now that I think of it, I just realized that surveillance cameras do exist on the reboot of the game. It was not intentional, hahaha.  
**

**So without further ado, let us dive in for a closer look into the two's relationship, and what's this? A clue on the mystery of Yamato. Let's go!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry. I really want to own a copy of that new DMC reboot game, though, maybe I could add it to the story. **

* * *

**Humanity**

Lady and Dante watched from the sidelines as Trish effectively defended herself from the onslaught of enemy humans and demons. A smirk was painted on her pale face, as she kicked, shot, and electrocuted her way through the barrage of enemies. She looked remarkably at ease as her blonde hair flew with the her actions and the wind. Lady had to give it to her, the damn woman can kick ass. Dante smirked as well, his thoughts of Lady's early behavior dissipated as he watched his partner making a macabre dance of the challenge in front of her. He had to stop watching when Lady shouted a warning to him. The bigger demons have spotted him and realized his identity. He gave a hand salute to Lady, as she rolled her eyes at him, and he ran off to fight in his own battle.

Dante unleashed his arsenal of weapons on the large group of demons. He smirked as one by one; each demon fell to his knees. He loved the feeling of seeing his enemies faces as he rained bullets on them. For some reason, he was feeling rather deadlier and more morbid than usual. His moves, though always stylish, were a bit more brutal. He noticed that it wasn't only raining bullets and shrapnel. It was also raining blood. And his inner demon loved the sight of it. But something else was going on with him. Yamato was glowing again, as if it wanted to be used. Dante picked it up and he felt a surge of power within him that he could hardly contain. He sliced and diced his way out of the horde with too much ease. It felt as if Yamato was calling every demon's attention, because a larger batch of demons ran towards his way. It was odd. But he felt the need to release a little bit of anger at the moment and so he went with Yamato's flow.

Lady watched the two demon-blooded hunters dance with their enemies, though Dante was a bit rougher and colder than usual. She shrugged the observation away as she heard a couple of demons and enemy humans run her way, planning to engage her in combat as well. She sighed and rolled her eyes, getting her Kalina Ann ready. Lady could see the port up ahead. She had no choice, but to run faster, fight quicker, and dodge better. Dante and Trish were more than capable to handle hordes of demons. She however, needed to be a bit more careful. She was human, and the two were demons. A head on battle would not work for her. But a swift execution of her skills would suffice. And so she ran across the port area, and she ran as fast as she could. She put two grenades into the mouths of two demons ahead of her as they made an attempt to deal with her with their scythes. She jumped and twirled in the air, away from the explosion range, a smirk in her face as the shrapnel dealt damage to the unfortunate enemy humans that were close. She ran and jumped towards a large shipping container with much ease. She grabbed Kalina Ann, aimed, and dealt with the horde of enemies behind her.

The sound of the large explosion got Trish and Dante's attention. Their wall of enemies slowly thinned as they shot, sliced and diced their way through. Both of them looked for the source, and saw that Lady was now on top of a shipping container, wielding her Kalina Ann. Dante couldn't help but be in awe and at the same time be concerned for her safety as she jumped off the shipping container and landed atop a demon's head. She snapped his head with a twist of her boots. The smirk on her face couldn't have been any wider. Trish watched the human demon huntress make her way towards the port. She recognized the speed and cunning of the woman with mismatched eyes. _'No wonder, Dante thought so highly of her,'_ she thought to herself as her electric hands slammed against an enemy human's chest.

Lady kept going and going, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She wielded both of her sub-machine guns and fired away. She slid her way underneath a fishingboat that was being hung upside down to dry to escape another barrage of demons. And when the demons in front of the suspended boat tried to grab her legs, she quickly dealt with them with a kick from underneath and rapid gunfire.

Dante saw the hoard of demons and enemy humans getting closer to her. She was going to be overpowered. Worry was getting the best of him. He tried to grab Trish's attention and they ran quickly to assist Lady. There was no need for it though, when they realized that Lady had used Kalina Ann again. And every enemy that tried to go near her, was either blasted into pieces, or ran away in fear. Trish's eyes widened. Clearly, she had underestimated the human. Dante however, almost let out a sigh of relief. He cursed himself inwardly for it. There was something that just wasn't sitting right with him, and he knew what it was. He decided that he was going to have to be mum about it for now.

Lady gave the two a smirk as she saw Trish and Dante's slightly surprised faces. She picked up the two guns that she had to drop to wield Kalina Ann and motioned towards a nearby unoccupied yacht. The two nodded in understanding and all of them boarded the yacht, leaving the cadavers of their enemies swimming in blood.

The three failed to notice another extremely powerful yet very familiar demonic presence in their hurry to leave the port. Not even Dante, noticed Yamato glowing brightly from its sheathe, as if it was trying to get his attention once more.

* * *

The way to Callia Island would only take an hour or so, according to Lady. It was Trish who was able to start the yacht without a key and so she took the captain's role. Lady and Dante were left at the deck, not knowing that they were unusually too far apart from each other. Lady was staring at the waves as it crashed against the board of the yacht. Her mind wandered to his odd demeanor back at the port. She felt his concern. She felt his disgust. But what was etched on her mind was that she felt his fury. And she couldn't understand why.

Dante on the other hand, observed Lady. He felt his worry for her increase the more they neared the island. The deeper they got into this mission, the more he felt that Lady was not supposed to be here. She was human. She was weak compared to him and Trish. And the way she handled herself earlier when they were undercover mortified him. And so he wondered just how many times did she have to bare her breasts just to get to her target? How many times did she have to spread her legs just to distract them? And after the act, how did she feel about it? Did she feel happy about what she had done? Did she feel disgusted? Did she feel anything at all?

His thoughts flew to when she bared her breasts for the guards that surrounded her. Not once did he see her face morph into disgust or shame. Not once. She had a cold calculating look with each move she made. She did not flinch. She did not react negatively. She was passive. In fact, she was too passive for his liking. Sure, he had heard her stories of manipulating targets with her body. But he had never once given it a serious thought. The thought of her, losing her dignity to complete her tasks hurt him so hard in the chest that he did not understand why. He felt the need to talk to her. He felt the need to comfort her. But did she really need comforting?

He sighed, scratching his head as he stopped leaning against the railing of the yacht's deck and headed to her direction. He needed to know what was going on with her. Whether she liked it or not, he had to get her to stop from using herself for whatever reason. But at the same time, he did not want to seem too protective of her and push her away from him. He did not want to lose her. He had to admit that. But a small part of him, wanted her to stop with the demon hunting business and erase all kinds of contact with her. _'Things always have to be so complicated,' _he remarked within himself.

"Gave me quite a show there, babe." He spoke out. Lady snapped out of her trance and turned to look at him. His voice was flirtatious, just like before. But she knew it probably meant something else. She decided to go with the flow anyway, just to see where he was getting at. She gave him a smirk.

"I hope you got a good look back there. You might not get the chance again," she answered. Dante raised an eyebrow at this, taking a step closer. "Hopefully next time, I'm the only one looking," he replied, his voice still playful and flirtatious. Lady did her best to suppress a shock. Was he being possessive of her? She didn't understand. Was that why he was so furious of her? She shook her head inwardly. He was probably playing with his words again. "You're gonna have to get in line then," she retorted with a slight smirk on her face, sarcasm dripping with each word she spoke.

The devil's mood quickly changed. His eyes were cold and hard as if he was analyzing and glaring at her at the same time. Her eyebrow rose at him. Her arms folded in a display of angry confusion. She could not understand his mood swings and his words and his actions. _'Could he not just tell me what the fuck is going on with him?!' _He shook his head and turned away from her. She felt despair, wanting to understand why he was being this way. And without being able to control herself, she blurted out, "Speak to me!"

Dante's ears pricked. Did she just shout at him? The last time she shouted at him that way was when they first thought Arkham was truly dead. He felt a pang on his chest. Sure, he was a demon. Sure, he was accustomed to masking his emotions. But that was the point. He still had emotions. It was what made him human. And it hurt him to hear Lady's frustration from behind him. She had just confronted him, and his mask was ripped apart easily with just a change in the tone of her voice.

"What makes us human… what makes you human… is that you could feel, Lady. Don't lose yourself," he spoke. His voice was sincere, but was filled with a range of emotions. There was sadness, there was anger, there was worry, and there was fear. Lady did not fully understand what exactly he was trying to say. Lose herself? How could she lose herself? She could still feel can't she? Of course she can. She could still feel frustrated and angry at the demon that stood in front of her. She could still feel confusion with his cryptic words. She could still feel… underestimated and it enraged her all the more.

She was human. She knew that. But she hated it when Dante belittled her. Had she not proven to him how she could handle herself well in combat in the previous fight? Had she not proven her cunning to him? Had she not shown how resourceful and determined she was when she willingly sacrificed her dignity to give him a chance to silently kill those bastards? And then she realized what he had been pointing at. But it angered her more. She was disgusted by his underestimation. Of course she felt something when she had to reveal her body to those men! Did he really believe that she did not feel remorse for what she did? It got the job done didn't it? And hell she would keep on going as long as she was sure that she would be able to kill those evil beings. As long as she prevented them from hurting any other innocent human, she would keep going and going!

She did not have to listen to him and to his preaches about being human. _'Afterall, I'm more human than you'll ever be,' _she thought to herself as she glared at the half-demon in front of her. Her heart filled with a new kind of resentment for the white-haired demon. She was a strong, full blooded human, and no matter what happened, he was only a half-human with a half-human heart, and he will never experience or understand how to be fully human. Or at least, that's what she believed in.

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**Confrontation! I hope I didn't go too far from the characterizations but Lady can't really get a grasp on what Dante was trying to say can she? So who do you think is right here? Dante, who thinks that Lady is slowly losing herself (her humanity in particular) in her quest to destroy every demon and evil human walking on earth? Or Lady? Who thinks that Dante doesn't understand the concept of being human and the sacrifice she needs to take to protect the human race? And a demonic presence appeared! Wonder what the heck that was all about. Hahahaha. Please continue reviewing! Thank you for the support once more! :D**


	8. VIII - You Wouldn't Understand

**A new chapter once again! I update quickly, don't you guys think? Hahaha. To answer the question from the previous chapter, I apologize but this fanfiction will only circle on Dante, Lady and Trish. Nero would only be mentioned. **

**To be honest, the reason why I update fast is because the concept is completely finished and I see no other reason to delay you anymore. Adjustments would be made every now and then, I expect. But these will all be minor and won't affect the general story line that I have planned out for this fanfiction. **

**So let's begin!**

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**You Wouldn't Understand**

Dante glared back at Lady, meeting her hard and cold mismatched eyes with his own. He was serious this time. No more bullshit and no more toying around. He just could not accept the fact that Lady was starting to care less about her own self. He needed her to understand that he did not want to lose Lady's humanity. It would destroy her. His eyes never left her as the silence between the two of them stretched out. It was Lady who broke the silence that lasted an eternity. And these words crushed his heart and brought him to the memories he hated the most.

"You wouldn't understand."

God he hated those words. What hurt the most was that Lady said them to him in the same way that she did a couple of years ago. It was when Arkham and Vergil were the two antagonists in their lives and she still thought of him as a cold hearted demon with no understanding of human emotions.

"_A demon like you, wouldn't understand."_

It even had almost the same words in it, he thought. It felt like their relationship was back to square one. Here he was, trying to explain to her that what she had been doing is dangerous for her. Just like on one of their first encounters with each other. Here she was, implying that he could not feel. Just like the past. What she said to him, was an all-time low. Her voice dripped with much resentment for him and he could not understand why she would not get it into her head that he was only concerned for her well-being. They have been through this before and he could not understand why this situation had to repeat itself. He decided to remain silent and let those words sit on her mind. She would eventually realize her mistake, and they would be as they were before. But it felt to him as if this situation was on a whole different level than before. It hurt him more than it did the first time. As to why it hurt so much though, he could not understand.

Lady noticed his silence, and she noticed how his stare suddenly softened at her. She had hurt him. Again. A pang of guilt shot through her heart. It was unfair how he could make her feel this way. He had hurt her as well. He had underestimated her and he had hurt her pride. It was not that she prided herself on being so well and capable of displaying her flesh to destroy her enemies. She prided herself because she knew the sacrifices she would have to make for the world to be a better place. She recognized her physical weakness, but at the same time, she recognized demon's weakness as well, and it was flesh. It was only right of her to extort that factor for her own good, and for the good of mankind wasn't it?

It felt odd for the two of them to be this way. They have understood each other on almost every aspect in their lives because of their experiences. Dante knew why Lady was so stubborn and determined to extinguish every demon in existence, and it was for the same reasons that he did the same. Lady knew that Dante wanted her to consider him as a complete human with superhuman physical abilities and that was just that. So how could they not understand each other at this moment?

Lady sighed. If they were going to work well with each other, they were going to have to be able to push this issue aside for the moment and move on. She had to end this confrontation or they will both be distracted and will not be able to function well on the mission. And god knows how Trish hated being delayed. Her eyes softened towards the half-demon as well and tried her best to keep her anger down.

"Listen, I didn't mean it that way. But please Dante, don't get yourself wrapped around in thoughts that would only make this mission tougher to handle. We may have had it easy a while ago but we shouldn't take this lightly because we don't know exactly who we're dealing with," she spoke softly. Dante felt more frustrated at this because she could not understand his sentiment. She did however have a point that a fight between them may become a huge distraction and delay their mission any further. He regained his cool and looked at her with a smirk and answered her with a short, "Sure, babe." It was all he could say of the moment. But he knew that he was going to have to speak to her after the ordeal. She smirked back at him, and with that he broke off the confrontation and went back to his usual self.

When he turned around and proceeded to Trish's area, Lady gave a silent sigh of relief. She collected herself and sat down at one of the seats found in the deck. The trip to Callia island would end soon, and she thought it would be best if she prepared her weapons before they arrived. She took off the sub-machine guns in her holster, and took Kalina Ann off her shoulder and inspected them. There were no damages to all her weapons as expected. The fight that went on earlier did not cause her to deal major damage. Two grenades have been used and there were only 3 of them left in her arsenal. She was going to have to be more careful now with her guns too, because the mission was only beginning and already her ammo had been reduced to three-fourths its original amount. She silently hoped that there would be a weapons shop in Callia Island. When she secured all her weapons around her body, she suddenly remembered the artifact in her pocket that started the mission in the first place. She took off the pendant from her pocket and inspected it. She was not sure why, but during the fight a while ago, she felt a stinging sensation coming from the pendant. The more they stayed in the port area, the more it stung her leg. It was only when they got to the yacht, did the stinging cease. She looked at the dimly glowing orbs of the pendant and saw that there was a little crack found on one of the jewels attached to the socket of skull. She did not remember it existing before and she could only discern that the crack was related to the stinging that she had felt a while ago. She would gladly inform Trish and Dante of this discovery, but as of the moment, she felt slightly tired. She returned the pendant in her pocket and allowed herself a moment's rest before they would arrive at the island's port.

* * *

She had a nagging feeling that something was not right when she awoke. Though she felt refreshed because of the quick nap she took on the way, she could not discern how in the world she got tired too quickly. She looked over at Dante and Trish and they have been whispering softly, apparently studying Yamato intently. She looked at her surroundings and found that the boat was not moving, nor was it moved from its position by the waves that pushed and pulled against the shore. They have already arrived at the island. Had she been asleep for that long?

Trish and Dante looked up at Lady's direction as they noticed movement across the deck. She was awake now, and the two decided that they must speak with her on this new discovery from Yamato, and gather information before they set foot on the island. They saw Lady rub her temples softly and wear her sunglasses before heading up towards them. They wouldn't know though if her wearing of sunglasses was to hide her eyes from the sun or from them. She gave the two a ghost of a smirk and spoke cockily, "Couldn't start without me, I see." The two acknowledged her presence with smirks of their own and so they proceeded to business.

"Alright, let's start by getting to know this island, shall we? What do you guys have to offer?" Trish spoke, taking command once again of formulating a plan. Lady acknowledged this and spoke first. She did not know much about the island except that the humans there were certainly not demonic. They were however, very unfriendly. They have been plagued by the demons of Allura city that they have learned to be less trusting of strangers who came to their island. It was from this island, that the pendant was rumored to originally come from.

Dante listened intently to what Lady had to say hoping that there would be no hint of her needing to go "undercover." He couldn't think he could bear it if she had to go through another round of playing as a prostitute. He was staring at her trying to see if she was lying about the true nature of Callia Island just in case she didn't want him to worry about her again. There were no traces. She was telling the truth.

Trish noticed Dante's heavy stare on the human demon huntress, curious as to what is going on between the two. While she was steering the yacht to their destination, she heard Lady shout at Dante. Curiosity got the best of her and so she decided to heighten her demon senses and understand the current confrontation. Her senses however were unable to fully understand what was going on because it was overpowered by Dante's extreme demonic presence. She was overwhelmed at his behavior. Lady and Dante were angry at each other. Definitely. But she could not get any more from what was going on because Dante's power was too great for her that she could barely hear Lady's next words. She did notice however, that Dante was trying his best to keep his power and presence down. Fear arose within her because it was clear to her that any more provocation from Lady would make Dante activate devil trigger accidentally. She quickly stopped from "eavesdropping" though because a few seconds later Dante and Lady relaxed and Dante walked towards her direction. She was hoping that Dante would speak to her about the confrontation or just to give her a hint of what was going on, but he was silent for the rest of the trip.

It was only when they arrived at the port, did Dante show her Yamato and talked about what happened during the previous fight against the demons. He explained to her his weird experience with Yamato and how it glowed brightly and exuded great demonic power in the battle. She let him retrace what had happened in the port but he spoke nothing that felt to her as a hint for Lady provoking Dante. He was lying to her. He was lying to her for the first time. But then again, this was the first time she's seen Dante act that way. He felt so heavy and he did his best to hide his emotions but she knew him for so long now that she knew there was something really bad going on. There were times when he would feel heavy but it was always because of Vergil or his mother. This was the first time she has seen him feel so much for anyone else. She did not know whether she felt good about it or not. After all she had decided long ago that she would not engage in any kind of romantic or sexual relationship with anyone, for fear of getting hurt. And honestly, she just could not see herself being with Dante. He simply gave her too much headaches for her to actually think if her heart beat faster for the half devil. She felt concerned for Dante though because being emotionally imbalanced could lead to the mission going awry. As for, Lady though, she did not really give a damn. Not that she was angry at her. She just never liked it when Lady would cost the office a lot of money and never really give them a significant amount of cash for their efforts to help her on a mission.

She was about to confront Dante about what she had sensed when Lady suddenly woke up and walked towards them. And there went her chance. The three of them continued discussing as if nothing happened. Lady spoke about Callia Island and afterwards Dante spoke of what happened to him and Yamato and how its power suddenly grew at the port of Allura city. Trish was about to direct the group to their next action but Lady suddenly spoke out.

"That happened to the pendant too," she said. Trish could see Lady's eyes widen from Dante's revelation and kept quiet to hear more about the pendant's behavior. Once again, she noticed Dante's intent stare on Lady as she explained the pendant's strange behavior. Lady explained how the pendant stung her during the fight and how it ceased only when they left the port. She also showed Dante and Trish a crack found on one of the orbs. Lady was very careful though not to keep it close to Dante, afraid that it would suddenly deal damage to him.

When Lady finished, she pocketed the pendant and waited on Trish for the plan. Trish gave out a clueless shrug and decided that they had no choice but to just step out on the island and ask people for a place to stay while keeping tabs on any information that would be vital to the mission. Dante and Lady nodded and went on their separate ways to unload their weapons and step out on the port. Trish was the first to head out of the yacht, as she only needed her dual hand guns and her hands to deal damage. Dante and Lady followed suit.

Lady was thinking hard on what happened to Yamato and the pendant. The great power that Dante and Lady experienced on the previous battle worried her. She took a peek at the pendant and saw that the pendant was glowing brighter. They were getting close to the real truth behind both artifacts' behavior. She could feel it and it worried her. She had a nagging feeling that the mission could be more dangerous than it seems and they could end up getting fatally wounded or worse, dead. She could tell because the artifacts both pointed to two very personal memories of Lady and Dante. Yamato was a personal devil arm to Dante and his brother Vergil, and the pendant had the voice of her father. There was a time when she knew that Dante would need the mission more than the mission would need him. But now, it seemed as if she wanted to back out of the mission as well when she was reminded of her father's voice. She did not want to know if her father was back. It would awaken so many unwanted memories within her. But if her father was back, and she knew his demonic obsession, then wouldn't it be right for her to extinguish him immediately? Or maybe it was best if Trish and Dante just completed the mission without her. She could bow out of the mission and Dante would need no explanation. He knows that she wouldn't want to see her father again. In fact, she had a feeling Dante would only be too happy if she bowed out. After their confrontation at the yacht, she had a feeling that Dante didn't want her around anymore.

She was brought back to earth when she saw Trish waving at her and Dante from afar. She was acting like a tourist, though she did not know if it was effective when they had a huge arsenal of weapons with them. It seems as though she found a place to stay in the island. She was right beside a noticeably taller man, with blonde hair and a shotgun strapped behind him. They were far from Dante and her and so she could not make out any other details. He seemed friendly to her though, but his aura was different from any regular human. From her experience, no man with a huge-ass shotgun would be friendly enough to talk to a group of people with a huge weapon arsenal with them. He was either the sheriff or the leader of a bounty hunting group. If he was working for Allura or Callia though, she did not know. She decided to keep her guard up until they reached the hotel that he was supposedly going to lead them to, pushing aside her thoughts of quitting the mission.

* * *

**Alright! As always, tell me about what you think of this chapter. Not much going on here, but this chapter's purpose was to start painting Trish's relationship with Dante and how she actually feels about Lady. Its purpose is also to start unveiling the secret of the amulet, and I'm really excited about this part! **


	9. IX - Callia Island

Apologies for the late post, but I am in the middle of working on my thesis and my application for an internship this summer (in the Philippines). No point in blabbering more about my life, here is the next chapter!

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Chapter 9 - Callia Island

The land of Callia was akin to a jungle. And contrary to Dante's ideal image of the island, it was not a jungle paradise. There was nothing beautiful or enchanting about it. The trees were common, a mix of coconut and other tropical species. Though he did bet that there were no tomatoes in the near vicinity. The sand at the shore had a dull glimmer. The climate was too hot and humid for his taste. And the place seemed so deserted. In fact, not even the women seemed enchanting to him.

The place seemed so dull, that Dante could not even understand how demons came to be interested in the island. There was literally nothing to be excited about this. But Trish seemed to be happy about one thing. He saw Trish speaking with a man who he thought was a wee bit small for the over-sized shot gun strapped behind him. The man seemed to be happily pointing directions towards the jungle, which Dante thought it to be odd because it seemed to him that the jungle had nothing more to offer except its tropical fruits and a bunch of wild snakes and boars. Why Trish seemed mildly invigorated after the random directions the man was pointing at, he would not even want to ask. All he knew was that he wasn't liking the place already.

Trish beckoned Dante and Lady to start moving. She had found a man who claimed that there was a place to stay in one of the near villages called the Chalice inn. Odd name, she thought to herself. Then again, her demon senses were telling her that the island was an odd place.

Dante and Lady were walking towards her and she took note of their faces. Lady seemed lost and deep in thought, perhaps thinking of her her confrontation with Dante in the boat. Something that Trish wished she was really privy to. Dante however seemed mildly annoyed and disgusted. She was feeling irate at the fact that no one would tell her what was going on between the two of them. She rolled her eyes inwardly and shook her head at her two slow moving teammates.

Thankfully, the man beside her was a lot more cheery than the two loads of baggage dragging their feet behind them. The man however was a bit too chatty for her taste. Beggars can't be choosers, anyway.

"So, why the long trip here, miss?" The man spoke out loudly to Trish. His voice was akin to that of a high pitched rodeo cowboy. Trish heard an attempt to stifle a laugh from behind her. She did not dare to look at the source as she herself was trying hard to maintain composure at the odd man beside her. No doubt Dante was trying his best as well. But he was never good at hiding his mirth from anything that made him laugh.

"Place seemed interesting to our friends back at the city and we thought we'd make a visit."

Wrong choice of words. Immediately, the blonde man pulled the shotgun from behind him and aimed it towards Trish. His cheery demeanor vanished and was quickly replaced by a sudden fierceness in his eyes. He was fast, but Trish, Dante and Lady were faster. However, since they were foreign to the lands, and to the skills of the odd cowboy folk, Trish had to feign surprise. Dante and Lady however were tense, and had their hands positioned strategically on their holsters.

"Allura folk... I knew it," he snarled, glaring daggers at the group in front of him. He was poised to shoot them, not recognizing the powerful aura that emanated from the blonde woman and the silver haired man. The group was silent, save for Trish who calmly explained the situation to him. "We're not from Allura. Wouldn't you think we'd be coming with a bigger group if we wanted to terrorize you?"

The man still pointed the oversized shotgun at all of them. Dante tried his best not to roll his eyes at the smaller man. Seriously, did this man really think that he could take all three of them? Then again, if he acted hostile now, the man could call his posse and he'll never find out what was going on with Yamato and the mysterious pendant.

"How do I make sure you're not one of those filthy, greedy, power hungry bastards who ravaged my island? You guys must be from Lucas!" His voice was hardly threatening because of its high pitch. In fact it sounded almost hilarious when his voice cracked up a bit. The tension is his vocal chords did not suit the tension that was occurring in the situation. It was very difficult for Dante not to crack up.

For Lady however, this was her opportunity to calm the irate cowboy. At the mention of the name Lucas, all the worry from within her vanished. It was all too familiar for her. He was one of her final targets from the city of Allura. Lucas was the target that cost her five months within the god forsaken city. It was during that five month stay that Lady received the skull pendant.

"Lucas is dead. I killed him." Lady stated almost in a matter-of-fact way. The three looked at her with sudden shock. Dante took a few seconds to realize that it was the name of the man who Lady targeted before she went back to Dante's city to search for him. He was impressed and relieved at the same time. Impressed because Lady was able to take down someone who reigned terror even in this area of the world. Relieved, because Lady found an avenue to stay in the island in peace. Trish however knew about Lucas and wondered how on earth would Lady be capable of defeating the leader of one of the most powerful human trafficking rings. She shrugged the thought off her mind though as she turned to the man holding the humongous shot gun.

"Impossible. I've heard rumors that Lucas is dead. That he died in the hands of a woman while in his private quarters. But it's simply not possible that the one who killed him was a..."

"I was the woman who killed him. I was Lotus." Lady finished his statement before he could even breathe a word that she went undercover as a prostitute. No doubt it would spark Dante's anger. And it would only make her situation worse if Trish knew about her "espionage techniques."

"You are Lotus?!" The man spoke with great surprise. Dante could not feel any more prouder of his former partner than now. But for some reason, he felt uneasy and he could not put a finger on why he felt like so. He then saw the blonde man eye Lady curiously and suddenly, quite mischievously. His heart sped up at the sight. There was something wrong in this picture. Something that he was quite afraid of finding out.

Trish on the other hand observed the interaction going on between the two. Lady was speaking to the blonde man about what had happened to Lucas. Apparently Lady was able to catch Lucas off guard and she finished him off as quickly and as quietly as she can. The blonde was asking about the captives that Lucas held but Lady could not answer her question. Lucas nodded solemnly, and Lady looked away. Was it because she was not able to save the captives that she acted so oddly? Or was there something else?

"So, are you still taking us to Chalice inn, err..."

"Alfred, the name is Alfred Lycos," the blonde introduced himself. "And yeah, I'll take you guys there." Odd name for a cowboy looking guy, Lady noted to herself. And so she took to the side of the blonde man, replacing Trish's position, as they headed towards a make shift parking lot with several generic looking ranger type jeeps.

The ride to the make-shift town center was not long, according to the group's guide. Along the way, Alfred spoke of the history in the island. The island of Callia, being near to the city of Allura used to be plagued by the demons and evil humans. Their people were raped, slaughtered, and enslaved. However, the few remaining men and women of Callia did their best to survive and fend off the demons and demon-like humans that came and terrorized them. It was akin to a revolution the way Alfred and his team overthrew the reign of Allura city two years ago. Allura city has backed off, not only because the island of Callia knew how to fight back, but also because of the demon hunters that distracted the head honchos of the city and had to defend themselves as well. Now, however, only minor demons came. Though the demons were minor, for ordinary people like Alfred, it was still difficult for them to send those demons back to where they belonged.

Trish, Dante, and Lady, listened intently, hoping for clues that would lead them to the mystery of the pendant and Yamato.

"It seems like a crazy place sometimes, but it's definitely quieter than before. Things are easier now actually, especially since someone from the shadows has been helping us destroy these beings. But we aren't letting our guard down, that's why I was so uptight when you guys showed up," he spoke. Lady's eyes widened, and her mind raced at the mention of a mystery man. She recalled the story behind the pendant and decided it was time to reveal their true purpose for arriving in the island to Alfred. She pulled out the pendant in her pocket and realized that there were brand new scratches on its orbs but decided to bring the topic out later.

She held out the pendant in front of Alfred in the hopes that he would recognize it and its true story.

"This pendant. Do you know where it came from?" Lady asked. Alfred tilted his head towards the pendant and immediately recognized the skull shape and the red orbs. He gave Lady a smirk.

"Of course I do." He spoke with a smirk planted on his face. Trish and Dante, sat up straight, quite surprised that they would get to a conclusion on the pendant faster than expected. Lady looked surprised as well, but nevertheless relieved. She was afraid that they would have to do some more poking around at the town center but now that they had a man who seems all too sure about his information, things would go smoother.

"That pendant, appeared when that mysterious guy started defending this island." The three listened intently to Alfred hanging on to each word he spoke. But the conversation had to stop short when they heard a loud scream from the pendant once more.

"SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARDAAAAAA AAA!"

Again, the voice was Arkham's. The scream shocked all four riders in the jeep. Dante and Trish instinctively moved back, Lady dropped the pendant accidentally and it fell on the jeep's floor, and Alfred swerved the jeep so that they almost hit a tree. It took them a while to recover from the shock. Especially Lady, who did not want to hear her father's voice again.

Dante looked from Trish, to Lady. He could see her eyes widen in shock and fear, her jaw was tense, along with the rest of her body. She sat frozen on her seat. He was about to put his hand on her shoulder to snap her out of her scared reverie when he notice Alfred frozen in fear and shock as well.

"What the fuck?!" Alfred screamed out finally. He felt as if his heart was almost through his throat. He stared at the pendant curiously and fearfully. Never has he felt a more evil aura than the one that emanated from the pendant. It took him awhile to keep his breathing stable. He was thankful that he was able to keep his control on the jeep. What worried him was the woman beside him. She was frozen to the spot. Her eyes were wide and her body was tense. She had a harder time recovering than the rest of them. Odd, since he would figure that Lucas' killer would be stronger and more able than the woman in front of him right now.

The three of them only stared at the woman in front waiting for her to recover. It took only a few more seconds than all of them but it felt like forever. Lady was physically shaking off the shock from the wailing pendant. She shook her head, and her hands as if she were trying to rid herself of an annoying pest. She breathed slowly but heavily as she tried to normalize her heart beat.

Dante was about to rub her back and snap her out of it, but it was Alfred who got to the woman in shock first.

"Miss… Lady?" He held out his hand towards her shoulder, before he could even touch her, Lady getting back to normal.

"I'm sorry. I was just caught off guard." She answered. Dante did his best to hide a sigh of relief. Trish caught it though. Quite frankly she was getting frustrated from all the odd behavior she has been observing from her two teammates. It was driving her mad that she did not understand the current state of the two. Dante was lying. Lady was freaking out. They were secretly arguing. She decided to confront them as soon as they were settled at the inn. Besides, it was not best to confront them at the current situation, especially now that Lady was starting to look pale and sick.

"So, about the pendant?" Lady asked Alfred again. Lady did her best to gain her composure. She knew all eyes were on her and she tried distracting the group. But she did not notice her body. Alfred, Dante, and Trish, noticed Lady turn pale and slightly sweaty. In fact, they knew that if they checked on her skin at that moment, they would feel her cold sweat. It was too late, when she at last realized what was happening to her body, and she fainted.

Dante caught her head and decided that Trish should switch with Lady as it was difficult to just hold her head that way all throughout the trip. With Lady, unconscious, Alfred had to support her as Trish and Dante went down the jeep. Dante held Lady in his arms as he carried her to the back of the jeep with him feeling her cold clammy skin. His worry grew for the woman he laid on the jeep's seat. She was shivering slightly. He has never seen her this way. True, she felt strongly about her father's possible return to this world, but it was hard to believe that it would have this effect on her. Something was not sitting well with him. He and Trish would have to go on the mission without Lady if her condition gets worse. Her body was fully human and she might not be able to handle whatever demonic magic that might occur in any future battles.

All the events and hints leading up to now confirmed just how dangerous this mission was going to be and he did not want Lady to start risking her life of he knew that there is almost a sure fire way of her losing it. But first he had to do something about Lady's condition.

"We should head to the inn, now. Something does not feel right." Dante said, his eyes not leaving the weakened devil huntress. Alfred agreed and the rest was silent as they rode off towards the town center, to Chalice inn.

* * *

Again, I am sorry for the late post. I will do my best to continue writing faster for you guys. I am very thankful for all the support you have given so far. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	10. X - Broken

**Thank you to my ever so loyal reviewers! Honestly, you guys, though are few, keep me going. I have a lot on my plate right now, and writing this fanfic makes me relax a bit. Anyway, big things are coming up on this chapter, so I won't make you wait. Let's go!**

* * *

Broken

Flickering images flew past her mind. The death of her mother, in the hands of her father.

_Don't!_

Her hands soaked with the blood of her mother as she desperately clung to her limp body.

_Please!_

His father's laughter filled with so much cruel mirth.

_Stop it! _

When he stabbed her in the leg when she thought he had died.

_No! _

The moment she realized that her father's dying words were all lies.

_Enough! Enough! No more! Please! _

A towering figure in front of her, their faces just inches away from each other.

_Please… _

The way she battled with herself to stop herself from grabbing onto his coat and cry onto his shoulders.

_Please… _

She was safe from the clutches of his father's treachery. She was grateful for her savior.

_Dante… _

The voice of her father booming from the amulet she held. The fear rushing back in her broken soul. The fear that her father would come back for her and torture her mind and soul once more. The fear that she might not be able to survive it this time. It all was too much. Where is he? Where is the man who got rid of this monster from her life? Where is the man who told her that he would take care of it? That he would take care of the pain that caused her to live her life with so much anger, fear, and hatred? He was right in front of her. And so she saw her hands reach out for him. She needed him to be close to her. The voice of her father grew louder in her mind. She couldn't take it any more… she couldn't… she couldn't…

"DANTE!"

Silence. Dante's heart leapt at the sight in front of him. Lady had awoken from her restless slumber. And he did not know how, but the moment she woke up she was instantly clutching on to his coat. She was out of breath and she was crying. He was frozen in the whole scene. He wanted to see her face or even speak to him. But her broken sobs and her gasps for air was all he could hear from her. He did not know what to do. He had never seen her this way. But he could feel the desperation in her clutch. And the way she cried out for him as she woke up caught him unaware and brought out so many feelings he thought he successfully shoved away years and years ago. His mind began to race with more questions in his head that he was sure would just added to the pile of headaches from all the drama occurring during this mission. Just what had she been dreaming about? What would cause her to clutch on to him tightly this way? And what did this all mean? Had they not been bitter between each other just hours ago? What was all this now?

But it doesn't matter now. His heart ached badly for the woman beside him. He could feel her pain. He could feel the entire burden she has been carrying since the mission began. He had not realized all of this of course. He had been so angry at her for more than half of the trip because of the stunt she pulled back at Allura city that he had not forgotten the way she reacted when she heard the voice of her father from the locket the first time. Her fragile body was clutching desperately onto his. His heart was beating wildly within his chest. She had never been this close to him. Nor had she been this open, and vulnerable in front of him. It stirred a lot of emotions within him. Emotions that he tried so hard to repress rushed within his soul and flooded his heart. Emotions that he knew if he were to act on it, would destroy him and the woman beside him. They couldn't be this close to each other. No. They shouldn't.

But at the moment, logic was overpowered by his need to protect her fragile self and nurse her aching heart. He wrapped his arms around her as a gesture that spoke volumes. He would protect her. He would keep her safe no matter the cost. He would be there, every single time she needed him. But there was a nagging voice at the back of his head pleading him to stop this nonsense and keep her at a distance. Confusion, sadness, sympathy, and pain washed over him in waves as his mind tried his best to form coherent thoughts, solutions, ideas, and ways to keep his distance while keeping her safe from the harm both physically, and emotionally. It was impossible. He had to make a choice in the end of all this.

But for now, all he can do was to keep her in his arms as she broke into pieces, thankful that no one else was around to witness the heart wrenching scene in front of him.

* * *

Trish was out to meet Alfred's band of fellow devil hunters. Usually, she would be with Dante when it came to meet and greets, but Dante was… preoccupied. She had suggested that the two of them would wait for Lady to regain consciousness before they met with the group, but Dante insisted that he stayed with Lady until she was good enough to leave, and the two of them will head to Trish and the group's meeting suit. When asked why he was in a rush, he reminded her that if they didn't solve the mysteries faster, worse things could happen to their team. With a silent scoff and a well-hidden roll of the eyes, Trish left Chalice Inn and travelled with Lycos to Redwood Bar.

Not much could be said about Redwood Bar. It was a typical quiet bar where there were more men who sulked and washed away their worries, than there were men who celebrated and washed away their hard-earned money. And as with most typical bars, there would always be one corner that was reserved for a rather shady group of men. In Redwood Bar's case, however, instead of a rather shady group of men, there sat a rather serious group of devil hunters.

Trish held on to the pendant that was tucked in one of the pockets of her black leather pants. Thank goodness she was a demon, she thought to herself. Demons had cooler blood and that meant that she could handle the sweltering heat of the island despite her wearing tight leather.

She was seated right beside Lycos, as Lycos introduced her to the group of demon hunters. She noted however, that there were just a few of them. The round table sat nine people, and that included her and Lycos, meaning there were only eight people in this group of demon hunters. When Lycos first spoke to them about his group, she imagined the number to be bigger. Another thing that she took note of was that none of them looked significantly strong, but then again, if they were able to fend off the hordes of demons that walked on this god-forsaken island, then she would be underestimating them.

"Alright boys, listen up. Trish here came with two other devil hunters. They are in Chalice inn at the moment, recuperating from something disturbing that occurred while we were on our way here." Lycos spoke. Trish found herself impressed at the fact that despite the man beside her had a high pitched cowboy-esque voice, he took command of the group quite well, and got their full attention with much ease.

"Trish's companions had gotten hold of a very special pendant." He beckoned to Trish and she understood immediately. The tight grasp on the pendant in her pockets loosened, as she placed it on the table in front of her. If it weren't a very serious and crucial mission, Trish could have sworn that she would be laughing right now. The men's eyes widened almost at the same time, and they looked very comical as some of their mouths were wide open as well.

Trish looked at them with a questioning look as the silence continued.

"That's Arkham's pendant." One of the men spoke out loud after the silence. She remembered that the man who spoke out was Jacob De Laney, and his voice was definitely lower than that of Alfred's.

Trish had information on who Arkham was when she was briefed by Dante and Lady before the mission started. But just on his abilities and his past objective. This time, the devil hunters in front of her might have more information.

"Who is Arkham exactly?" She inquired. There was a sudden tension in the air. The group shifted nervously, only Lycos seemed comfortable, because he has seen it before. But it was De Laney who spoke out once more.

"Arkham… we don't know what he is, or where he came from…" He spoke slowly and deliberately. His deep voice that hinted anger and resentment nursed the tension in the air. Trish listened quietly, wanting to absorb and understand every bit of information that came from the devil hunters.

"All we know, was he looked every bit of a man at first, and then he turned into a demon the next. We… we didn't know if he was a sorcerer… or a demon… or… whatever horrifying monster he was. He took out a lot of our population… in fact he was the sole reason why most of our men died." His deep voice cracked as emotions ran high within the group. She could see him clutch tighter on his beer bottle as he continued his story.

"His attacks stopped after a month… and it was confirmed that he was isolated in one of the caves here in the island, still in his demon form… It was a miracle how close we were able to get to him that time… He was blind you see… but his senses were heightened. He could sniff us out from miles away… he could feel our auras… We felt as if we knew he was there, but he never attacked. Perhaps it was his way of telling us that he wouldn't disturb us if we left him alone in that cave."

Trish felt confused at this point. This was a hybrid demon. Arkham has turned into a hybrid demon. But why would Arkham seem to be able to make a silent negotiation with humans if he has fully taken over being a demon? Inwardly, she shook her head and continued to listen to the man across her.

"And then… he came… a demon hunter from the shadows, with skills I have never seen in my life… I was the only one there when Arkham was slain by the man. I was scouting the area, as a routine… and I saw it. I didn't see his face, all I could remember was his blue coat, and his silver hair that stood out."

"Silver hair?!" Alfred and Trish exclaimed. Alfred because he remembered the silver-haired demon hunter that stood by Trish a while ago and Trish because this was the very first proof that Vergil was indeed alive.

"Silver hair… and blue coat. It's etched in my mind. I saw how he slew the monster… he cut through him with much ease, and left quickly. But… it happened, there was a bright flash of light… and… and all that was left was Arkham's pendant. The man was gone, and Arkham was gone. There were sightings of the hunter after that… but we can't confirm if it's true or not. All we know is, demons have been disappearing left and right when he first showed."

Trish was still surprised at how this was pure evidence of Vergil's return. But he defeated a hybrid demon. Does it mean that he has changed? Does it mean that he and his brother were finally seeing things eye to eye? It seemed too good to be true. Questions and plans raced through her mind as she processed the information.

"This cave… can you show me and my team where it is?" She asked De Laney. He gave a curt nod, and suddenly, Trish realized just how much of a headache this mission was going to be at the team's current state. Lady might still be unconscious, and she still had to straighten out Dante and her and fix whatever was going between them, because they need to get their game on for whatever might come next.

She massaged the temples at her forehead and took a swig of beer. Dante better be having his A-game when she gets back to the inn or else he will never hear the end of it.

Her mind continued formulating plans and analyzing information, barely noticing the conversation that continued between Alfred and De Laney.

"So, who are Trish's other teammates? It would be comforting to know who we'd be meeting tomorrow on the trip to the cave," De Laney asked Alfred.

"Well, another silver haired guy, which is why I got surprised at this last bit of description. And you never will believe it but Lotus, the one who defeated Lucas, is with her team."

"LOTUS?!" The whole group erupted. And by the looks of them, Trish knew she was going to learn a hell of a lot more about her fellow female accomplice. She took a swig of beer and decided that she was going to head back to the inn a little later than expected.

* * *

**YEAH! This is my favorite chapter so far, probably because of the emotional conflicts on the first part. Hahaha. By the way guys, how do you like the pacing of the story? I'm asking this because I believe that this story is going to last for perhaps five to ten more chapters, if I continue my pacing as it is.**

**Thank you for your continuous support! Please keep reviewing guys!**

**More emotional conflicts next chapter. And the group finally sees some action! In the form of…**


	11. XI - Get Your Act Together

**OH MY GOODNESS! I apologize for the really huge delay. I had to finish my internship first before I could get rid of the writers' block! Nevertheless, I promise to go back to my regular, old, fast-updating self! Thank you so much for sticking with me for this long. I promise things will get better for this piece!**

**I would like to address some issues with the characterization however. I understand that some of you are upset with the way Dante acted or rather, "thought" on the last chapter. I have always pictured Dante to be very real with himself and he is very in touch with his emotions compared to Lady. So the last chapter and this chapter will be his way to mull things over and get his act together. Oh and main point, this is a Dante x Lady fiction. I am doing my best to keep the romantic cheesiness to a low level. I would like to keep their relationship a serious and mature one without the romance... just the drama that comes with it. **

**Now that we have gotten that out of the way... let us resume! **

* * *

**Get Your Act Together**

There were no words to describe how Trish felt. Hearing the conversations of the men beside her, she came to know the true life of her teammate, Lady. The mysterious woman apparently used her own body to trick demons and kill them. She did not know what to think. On one hand, she understood that as long as it got the job done, it would not matter. On the other hand however, she could not imagine Lady taking that course of action to get her pay. She could not understand what would drive her to use her body to get the job done.

Surely it would not be out of desperation. She knew that Lady was a woman of means and at the same time practicality. If she were to see Lady's total savings stashed in her apartment somewhere she would see a pile suitcases filled with money.

She took a glance at her companions and saw that almost all of them were passed out. She sighed. Humans just couldn't last that long when it came to drinking. She rose from her seat and walked out of the bar, paying the bartender with an amount just enough to pay for her drinks. It would be up to the bartender now to ask payment from the group of men. She welcomed the cool fresh air as it blew not-so-gently on her pale skin, still reflecting on the mystery that is Lady. Or Lotus, as the men called her. She walked towards the inn slowly, an emotionless face worn to hide the questions in her mind.

* * *

Dante watched the sleeping form in front of him. The woman had fallen back to sleep from what seemed to be an endless wave of crying and breakdowns. Her petite form held a closed sleeping position. From time to time, he would see her suddenly shaking and muttering incoherent words. He would have doubts on whether to wake her up or keep her asleep. In the end he would just try to soothe her pain by running his hand up and down her back. Sometimes it worked and sometimes he would just wait for her shivering to subside.

He closed his eyes briefly as he analyzed his situation silently. No one knows what truly waits for them somewhere in Callia Island. If it were his brother, he would be prepared for another battle to death. If it were Lady's father however, he did not know if Lady would be prepared. If worse comes to worse, it would be him and Trish who would have to take up arms against the cruel man. He knew Lady would not be willing to step aside from battle, but then again, he did not know what would be Lady's mental and emotional state when the time comes.

A lot of things could happen. And this was the first time that he hated the uncertainty that came with a mission.

His eyes briefly moved from Lady's sleeping form, to the woman who just entered the room. There was a grave look in her eyes that made Dante wonder. She knew something, and he knew that they would be sharing an uncomfortable discussion. Trish tilted her head to her side indicating for Dante to step out of the room with her. He glanced back at Lady as if he were deciding if it would be safe to leave the fragile woman for a moment. He shook his head inwardly. He was being paranoid. And with that conclusion he stood up from his seat and walked out of the room with Trish.

* * *

The two made their way to the roof top of the inn. Dante propped his elbows against the wall, staring into the jungle façade. Trish was right behind him looking over his figure with worry. The confidence and swag he had was somewhat lost. Something was affecting him so, and she believed it was because he found out about Lady's secret as well. As much as she wanted to leave the matter alone, it was affecting her comrades too much and it was time for her to ask the hard questions. God knows what could happen when the devil is lost in his own thoughts during battle.

"Lady's decision, is Lady's decision. You know that right?"

Dante shot Trish a look. There was a deadly glint in his eyes and Trish felt her heartbeat race. Never has she been in the receiving end of his glare. She took a deep breath and pressed on.

"I know about Lady and about her life as Lotus. The men told me." She said in the hardest voice she could muster, though she felt it falter a bit as she could feel his demonic presence engulf the atmosphere around them.

Dante did not answer. Instead he looked back into some random spot in the jungle, turning away from Trish. He did not want to be put in this position.

"What is she to you?" Trish asked. Immediately she felt a surge of power shoot through Dante's body. The reaction was enough for her to know that she was crossing a dangerous territory.

Dante took his time in replying. He did not know what Lady was to him in the end. She was no lover, and she was more than just a simple friend. The both of them went to hell and high water just to get through their first "mission" together. In the end, no words could fit the description of their relationship. He sighed.

"We shared a crazy past. That's all." He said, not bothering to look at Trish. He hated this feeling of uncertainty. Uncertainty in missions was his best friend. It was what thrilled him to keep on moving on a mission. It made all things exciting. This however… he did not like this kind of uncertainty. No matter. He had a plan anyway. He will get the job done, as quickly as possible and all of them could get this over with.

"That past of yours is eating up the both of you. Also, there will be plenty of time to discuss her methods in the future. After this mission. We don't know what we're up against Dante. The both of you better…"

"I know what I am doing, Trish." Dante looked back at her and stood up straight. He walked towards her. All of a sudden he was calm, cool and collected again. Trish will never understand this man.

"Relax, babe. I know what to do with my Lady. We'll kick whoever's ass his hiding in this god-forsaken jungle. Alright?" Dante assured her, with a sudden wink in his eye.

Trish was taken aback by Dante's sudden carefree self. She could feel the demonic power surging within him still but he was doing his best to suppress it. What was his plan? But this seemed better than a washed up looking Dante. She replied with a smirk and Dante had left her staring into the night.

It took her a full minute to realize that Dante had just called Lady, his.

* * *

**Wow. I just dropped a tiny little bombshell for you guys. Short chapter, I know. Ugh, as time goes by I keep thinking of different scenarios for Dante and Lady's relationship. The general plot line will remain the same though. Again! Thank you for sticking with me! The next chapter will be the start of another wave of action, adventure and drama! I promise you that! **

******If you are upset with the last chapter and on this chapter, do not worry. This is just a necessary step for the relationship and teamwork of all three. We will be back to normal action and small bits of bonding in the next chapters. **

**Expect a chapter within this week or the next week. :) **


	12. XII - Dawn

**I'm excited for this chapter. After the slow improvement it's time to speed things up a bit. Read on!**

* * *

**Dawn's Confrontation**

Lady awoke the next morning feeling a bit groggy. It took her awhile to realize where she was and what happened. Mortified by her acts, she instantly felt the need to hide underneath her blanket to assess the situation.

It had been her nightmares that triggered this. It seems her subconscious had been riled up throughout this debacle. She felt ashamed that she would break down in the middle of a mission. This has never happened to her before. Then again, this mission was truly one of a kind. The fear of having to face her father one more time took a toll on her without her realizing it. She could not quite fathom however, how she would easily fail on this mission emotionally. The nightmare and fears crept up on her out of nowhere.

Then there was her sudden urge to cling onto Dante. She felt horrified that she had suddenly exposed her weakness to the half demon. And here she thought she was going to prove him wrong on this mission. She suddenly felt insecure and vulnerable and just plain petrified at the fact that she had broken down in front of him and she felt the need to have him close. What was she to do now? Surely, the tension there was between them yesterday would change to a different kind of tension. A very awkward one.

She was a professional, she told herself that. She would face the mission head on and she would not allow some stupid emotional failure get in between her and the mission at hand. She brought Dante and Trish into this and she would not allow herself to not be able to finish this. She would have to pretend none of last night's events happened and hope that Dante would get the picture as well.

Once she summoned the willpower to move on, she threw the covers off her body and sat up, analyzing her current setting.

No one was in her hotel room. Good. That meant she had ample time to prepare for whatever may come up. But then, what were their plans? She had been asleep almost the whole day yesterday, therefore she did not find out what the amulet was about and what would be their next moves. Curse her stupid emotional breakdowns.

She stood up from her bed upon locating her luggage and Kalina Ann. The climate in Callia Island was not making her comfortable at all. It was very hot and humid unlike Allura. She decided to change into something comfortable. A tank top and a looser pair of cargo pants would suffice for the unbelievable weather. Besides, not knowing what monstrosities she would face today, the additional pockets for more ammo and weapons would come in handy. She grabbed two more mini-guns from her weapons cache, a pistol and even an assault rifle which she slung at her front.

Realizing that there was nothing else to do, Lady decided it would probably be a good time to head out and search for her two teammates and so she headed out the door. She took a deep breath, preparing herself in case Dante would be the first one she would face. She needn't to look far for a fellow teammate. As soon as she stepped out of the door, there was Dante, about to lock his room's door as well. She gulped and did her best to calm herself down.

Dante noticed her exit as well and turned his head towards her. He smirked towards her direction. Lady could never understand how Dante could just play things cool so easily but she decided now was her time to take a leaf from his book.

She smirked back.

"Big day today, babe." He said, flashing a grin towards her.

"Really? What's going down, today?" She asked trying to match the cocky, confident, and indifferent aura that he was emanating. Curse this man for being so over-confident. She could not believe how easy it was for him to just shrug off all the drama from last night. She poured out all her anger and fear last night, basically exposing her true colors to him. And yet there he was, so able to pretend like none of it happened. And here she was, having difficulty from acting the same way.

He grinned again and walked down the hallway and she found herself trailing behind him, Kalina Ann in toll.

"Today's the day we beat the crap out of whatever's haunting us all."

If Lady's jaw could just unhinge and fall off the floor, it would. Instead, she opted for a silent kind of shock. She could feel her steps falter a bit as he said those words. She found herself processing the statement in her mind. Could it mean that Dante felt the same fear as her? Did he fear his brother would be the one that he would have to face? She almost forgot that Vergil could be the one that caused this tumultuous mission anyway. Today would be the day when they would find out. Vergil or Arkham?

He looked back to see her sudden hesitation. He gave her a knowing smile and a wink. This confirmed her theory. They were both struggling inside last night and what would be a better way to move past last evening's drama than to get through this battle together.

Dante truly was an unpredictable man. But she wouldn't have him other way.

Trish had been at the lobby with Alfred and the rest of his crew. Today, his team would be taking her, Dante, and possibly Lady to the cave so that they could exterminate whatever was lurking inside and get this ordeal over with. There was no telling if the demon would be hard to subdue or not, so she could not tell if the absence of Lady would cause more difficulty. Then again, having to deal with an unstable team mate could pose more of a challenge. She went over the map with the Alfred's team again, reminding herself of the landmarks that they would have to look out for in case things went from bad to worse. She tapped her heels against the wooden floor boards impatiently. Dante was taking quite some time.

Luckily, she did not have to wait any longer as she heard his heavy footsteps coming down from the stairs along with softer sounding steps. So he decided to bring Lady along with them. It would not be wise to question his judgment, after all he knows the woman more than she does. How he managed to resolve the issue, she would never find out. The half demon promised he knew how to handle HIS Lady, and who was she to go against the decision. Perhaps Lady had also come to realize that she had to get her act together as well. Either way, Trish still was pleased by the fact that they would have some extra firepower at hand. If there was one thing Trish knew about Lady, it was the fact that Lady never came unprepared. Her weapons collection was one of the best ones Trish had encountered.

To her surprise, it seems that Lady also deemed this occasion a special one. Was that an assault rifle she had? She could not tell if Lady was well prepared or just paranoid, but again, additional firepower is welcomed in this particular mission. She gave the two new arrivals a smile and beckoned them to pick up the pace. There was much to do and much to talk about. The two had to be briefed on what they were possibly going up against.

"Outfit change, Lady?" she asked. Not only had Lady updated her firearms, she also changed her attire.

"Dante told me this was a special day," the woman replied as she walked towards the table that the group had crowded around.

"I should have dressed up for the party too," Trish answered back. Immediately she saw the men around her change their demeanor. She expected this, as it was easy to be intimidated by Dante's aura. She was gravely mistaken though because one of Alfred's cronies approached Lady and stuck his hand out.

"It is a pleasure to meet the woman who brought down the monster, Lucas," he spoke. Dante and Trish exchanged looks. They were so used to Dante gaining the spotlight every time they met with contacts on missions. This was the first time Dante was not recognized or surrounded by fans.

Lady however raised an eyebrow but shook his hand nonetheless.

"It's no trouble. Now, can someone brief me on today's task?" Lady replied. Her two comrades agreed inwardly. There was no time for fans and autographs. They had to get the job done.

Trish suddenly realized that she forgot to tell Dante the tales of Alfred's men. She would have to brief the two first before the men would do their report.

"Dante, Lady, it is very possible that Vergil is alive, and Arkham is dead."

Both addressed were stunned. So it seems both men from their past have arrived on earth. As the information dawned upon them they both realized that they have been preparing for their arrival for quite some time now, but the situation was totally different from what they pictured.

"Details, babe?" Dante asked. He could sense that Lady, too, wanted to know more about this revelation. "Very possible" was not a good enough term for the two of them. They wanted to know for sure.

Trish quickly recalled the men's stories from the top of her head. She told them that a hybrid demon named Arkham appeared and terrorized the island of Callia and that a mysterious man that matched Vergil's description arrived out of nowhere and killed Arkham off. As she told the story, she noticed that Dante's demonic aura had been acting up again, though if it was out of anger or excitement she did not know. She knew this would be a sign that Vergil was alive and was out to get demons as well, but the fact that he did not contact Dante at all could mean something else. Lady, however, looked like the weight on her shoulders have been lifted but at the same time, her face pulled a confused expression, as if she were trying to scrutinize the state of things. She was certain that her two teammates had a lot of questions on their mind and it would be best that they clear things up with the men before they proceed with the plan.

Lady was the first to ask.

"This hybrid demon, could you describe him to me?"

It was Jacob De Laney, Alfred's right hand man who spoke out.

"We could not come close enough to know what he looked like, ma'am. There was a time when he seemed human-like. During then, we deduced that he was blind, because his pupils were white and he seemed to have a difficult time moving. But in his demon form, we could not get much of his form because his senses were heightened and he could attack from a very far range."

"What did he attack with?" Lady asked. Trish and Dante noted the sudden excitement and anxiety in her voice.

"We can't tell ma'am, but our comrades were pierced with human bones."

"An Artemesian." Lady suddenly blurted out. Her father had turned into a hybrid demon. For some reason he was capable of escaping the gates of Purgatorio. In fact she could not understand how he arrived in Purgatorio in the first place when he should have ended in hell. If the men's story were true, then she would have to thank Vergil if they would ever meet. Facing her father as a hybrid demon would be a terrifying ordeal for her to face. But somehow she had a feeling that she was missing something. There was a nagging voice inside her head that told her she should not be taking this for granted. She recalled how difficult it was for her to eliminate one Artemisian from one of her last missions while waiting for Dante to arrive at his shop. Then again, this was Vergil they were talking about. Vergil could certainly handle an Artemisian.

She was pulled out from her thoughts when Dante suddenly spoke.

"Babe, are you absolutely sure that Vergil appeared and killed the Arkham as an Artem-whatian?"

Again, it was De Laney who spoke. "Sir, I don't know who Vergil is. But a man who looked exactly like you, sporting a blue coat similar to the design on yours appeared and killed the hybrid at the cave we'll be going to."

Dante seemed convinced by this and nodded. Vergil was alive and it seems he was just close by. He hated this side of Vergil. He would rather just confront him now instead of throwing them on a wild goose chase. He remembered when Vergil had Arkham give him an invite for this grand party at the top of Temen-ni-Gru. He wished that Vergil would just be direct and bring the party to Dante instead. It would be much easier for the both of them to just get it on with. Oh how he wished Vergil would just appear out of nowhere and explain everything just so that they could get this over with.

"So what are we going to do first?" he asked the group. Enough wondering and wishful thinking. He wanted to move, now.

Trish started relaying the plan.

"We're going to Arkham's hideout to look for any traces of Vergil or anything that might cause the pendant from acting up. Arkham's body or demon form was never found so we don't exactly know -"

"Arkham isn't dead. He's very much alive."

The entire group fell silent. Dante was all too familiar with that voice.

"_Wish granted,"_ Dante thought.

* * *

**Technically, this isn't a cliff-hanger but I like to build excitement like that. That said, at this rate there will be three to five chapters left before this baby is over. As I said, the development general plot line has been too slow for my tastes and after that little emotional hurdle it's time to get things done with and finish what they started.**

**Next chapter will arrive next week, or even earlier than that. ;) **

**SO GO! REVIEW! AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! :D**


	13. XIII - The Arrival

Yeah, I know, I am late. I'm sorry. I'm going to stop talking now and just pass on the next chapter.

* * *

The Arrival

The whole group turned their heads towards the source of the voice. Dante knew all too well who that man was though and his quickest reaction was to go on defense. Suffice to say, the group was frozen, too in shock to utter their reactions. Dante was an exception, of course. He made his way in front of the group as if in a protective stance against the man who made such a grand yet subtle arrival.

The said man arched a silver brow as he appraised his twin brother's glare and sudden dangerous aura. As expected of course from the brother he betrayed and left years ago. Knowing his predicament, he expected no warm welcomes but he also did not expect such a hostile encounter. Nonetheless, he knew he would have a lot of explaining to do and since his bone-headed brother was still glaring at him like he was the prince of hell himself, Mundus, he decided to break the ice.

"Is that your way of welcoming your dear brother to the party, Dante?" He said. Though he knew it would agitate his poor, confused twin, he speaking this way would ensure Dante that he was on his side.

"I don't like party crashers if they don't have anything to offer." Dante replied matching the smirk that was on the other half-devil's face. The air was thick with tension yet only the two of them could feel the dark humor that came with their kind of relationship. Theirs is a paradoxical relationship. They are brothers. They are rivals. They are comrades. They are enemies. And only they could understand each other so well.

Lady was the next to move. Vergil could see her hand move to one of her mini-guns. She has changed as well. He noted the excess firearms strapped on her body and quickly his eyes trailed and locked towards her bi-colored glaring eyes.

"Relax, woman. I am not here for the hostilities. Merely, I would like to extend… additional firepower. That man is also my target." He spoke out, referring to Arkham.

Trish looked at Vergil with confusion and fear etched in her face. She had once become witness to Vergil's incredible power. A part of her feared him, just as she had feared Dante's superior demonic energy. But Vergil had a much colder and darker aura than Dante's. She quickly glanced at Lady's direction. There was no trace of confusion there, only hate. She wondered why though. She still had not figured out the mystery in the three's relationship. Perhaps this scene will have the answers to her questions.

"Let's cut to the chase then. What is it that you want from us? We're in a hurry to get this party started." Dante asked. He had both arms slightly raised and his cocky and playful aura quickly replaced his protective, menacing one. Still, there was still a deadly aura that he emitted. His demonic powers were still raging within him and everyone could sense it. He was calmer, definitely. But he was on guard.

"Nothing. I just want to kill the bastard. Is it so hard to believe?" Vergil's stance relaxed as well. The group could tell that the atmosphere was gradually taking a turn for the better.

"Why?" Lady asked. Her hand was still at the ready on one of her weapons, yet she was a little calm now because of the brothers' slowly dissipating anger towards each other.

"Simply because I despise him and I do not want him to exist either in this world or in purgatory. He has escaped my grasp in hell and I will not allow him to remain free here."

Trish noted the difference in the way Vergil answered Lady and Dante. With Lady, he was more formal and condescending. With Dante, he spoke lightly and even more arrogantly than his already egoistic brother. Just what was the history among these three that made them act the way they were?

"What do you say dear brother? I have vital information that could be helpful for this mission and obviously, you are going to need me." Vergil asked, though he knew the answer to the question already. He knew his brother like the back of his hand. Dante would say yes because that was just the man that he was. He would always see the good in one human or demon or whatever kind of being and try desperately to bring it out. A sliver of humanity was enough for him to save anyone.

Sure enough, Dante gave a curt nod, a sign of his compliance and agreement and let go of his stance. Lady however was a bit more apprehensive. When Dante noticed this he shot her a knowing glance. She hesitated and then backed down, trusting his judgment. The rest of the group had no choice but to stand down.

Trish studied him as he crossed the lobby. This would be the first time that Vergil and she would meet. True, she had worked with him before when they were both under Mundus' control, but he was merely in a puppet state and she had not encountered his true persona or his true look. And though she had noted the slight similarities between him and his brother, Dante, she could surmise that the two of them were completely different in the way they acted and perhaps even their principles as well. Dante had a boyish nature coupled with his rough and tough attitude and playful, teasing antics and Vergil was a complete polar opposite. Vergil emanated a very regal air. He was cool, poised, reserved and his body screamed power. Unlike Dante, Vergil had no qualms about letting everyone feel his demonic powers. Trish's demon senses were almost stifled by Vergil's sheer unbarred power. She spared Lycos' people a glance and saw that they were rooted to their spot. They held their bodies stiffly. They too were definitely intimidated by Vergil.

When Vergil stopped right in front of Dante and the group, Lady spared no time and immediately spoke up.

"What do you know of Arkham? And how do you know he is still alive?"

Vergil threw her a scowl. He was not used to having a human demand answers from him that way. In fact, he was not used to having any kind of being demand answers from him at all. Nonetheless, the sooner they set out for Arkham, the better the chances for them to eliminate him.

"Arkham is an Artemesian, yes. But we – that is, the three of us - know that since the beginning, he was no ordinary human. It will only be safe to conclude that the man is no ordinary Artemesian so definitely, he is alive."

"These boys said you killed Arkham's demon form already. How is he still alive?" asked Dante.

"A little oversight on my part. I didn't think Arkham still had his former powers when he was a human."

"He played dead again?" asked Dante, an incredulous expression on his face.

"Not exactly. His physical form disappeared yes, and I was certain his soul also disappeared as well. It appears though that he was able to split his soul in half and transfer them to two separate entities."

"His soul… split in half and transferred?" Lady asked this time. Her father was a master in the dark arts but she did not think he was capable of the complex procedure of splitting and transferring his soul from one place to another.

"When he died I still felt his presence heavily in the cave where he once stayed. Upon investigation, I found an altar per se where a part of his soul is contained. The place was surrounded with demons apparently being strengthened by his soul. It's impossible to destroy it though, not without the other piece of his soul."

"And where is that other piece of shit?" Dante asked brazenly though he already knew where the conversation was going.

"That pendant you've been harboring this whole time has his soul."

Immediately, Trish threw the pendant across the floor like it was made of fire. Dante saw this and grabbed the opportunity to destroy it.

"Well then, let's end this!" He exclaimed as he drew out the Rebellion and he prepared to pierce the accursed pendant with his heavy sword. As he made his move to thrust the sword downwards however, Vergil kicked the pendant away.

"It doesn't work that way, Dante." He explained to his twin brother, seeing a confused expression on his face.

"That pendant is the key to the altar, and the key to letting Arkham's soul out to destroy it." Vergil explained further.

Lady knew exactly what he meant. She was going to have to face her father after all. There was fear in her heart, that much was true, but there was anger as well. Anger and frustration. The fact that her father was able to return infuriated her because it meant that all her efforts in the past have gone in vain. Her father's purpose for arriving back on earth did not matter anymore. He needed to die and he needed to disappear for good.

Without hesitation, she took the pendant and placed it in her pocket. She had been carrying a piece of her father's soul all this time that the thought of it sickened her. She suddenly felt like her father had been spying on her all this time and that he had pervaded her thoughts as well. She shook her head inwardly, trying to shrug off all her worries. There was no time to wallow in fear, only in anger.

Dante and Vergil took note of her movements. Her face was unreadable, but her body spoke so much about how she was feeling at the moment. If she were also a half demon she would be on her trigger mode and going on a rampage.

"Then we go to the cave, find the altar, bring him back with this pendant and _kill_ him the minute he surfaces," Lady said. There was fire in her eyes and Dante could see her hands shaking slightly as she clutches on to the pendant tightly, as if wanting to crush it.

No other words were to be said. Seeing Lady take charge of this situation made Trish back down a bit from her once leader role. It was clear to her. This was now on a whole new personal level. Lady was going to lead the end of Arkham – whoever he was. Trish turned her head towards Lady, met her eyes and nodded. Dante and Vergil took this as a cue as well and allowed Lady to be the first to step out of the building.

* * *

Midway to the location, when Lady, Trish and the rest of the group were slightly ahead, Vergil turned to Dante and looked at him questioningly.

"Do you need anything?"

Vergil turned his head towards Dante's waist indicating a sheathe hiding a thinner sword that clung on to his belt. Dante easily recognized what Vergil wanted and tossed him his sword. Instantly, the sword glowed with a white light under Vergil's touch. Vergil seemed satisfied and calmer when he held the sword in his hands. He felt its sheathe and then he took the sword out to feel its blade. It felt cool and light to his touch. He felt a surge of power course through him. Yamato was back where it truly belonged.

Dante decided to cut Vergil's admiration of his long lost sword with a question.

"Why didn't you show up earlier if you have been following us all along?"

"I have not been following you all along…" Dante raised an eyebrow at this. He wasn't going to buy that answer. Vergil merely sighed and continued his explanation.

"I have not been following you all along… at first. I was trying to trace Ark ham's remaining soul when I saw the two of you, and the blonde woman fighting your way to some boat at the docks. What was most curious was when I felt the power from Lady."

"The blonde woman has a name. Trish. How could you not know Trish when you two fought me under the influence of Mundus?"

"Because I was under the much heavier influence of Mundus. I had no recollection of my comrades when my soul returned to hell. But more to the point here, I suddenly realized that Lady could be holding on to the artifact holding Arkham's soul. So I followed you until I was sure you had the artifact."

"How long have you been… alive?"

"Two years."

"Then why appear just now?"

Vergil shrugged, not knowing himself why he did not show up in front of Dante's doorstep in the first place. Then again, what would they do when they did encounter each other? Get together? Reminisce about the old days, when they would be at each other's throats and constantly want to kill each other? What would be the first thing to say after everything that has happened between him and his brother? Apologies fit neither their personas nor their relationship and he knew not what step to take next after this whole issue with Arkham would go. After a moment of uncomfortable pause, Vergil uttered the most logical thing to say.

"There was no need for us to meet."

Dante nodded and turned his head away from this. As much as he hated the answer, Vergil was right. Because that was where they were now after all the fights and all the arguments and all the anger and rage that occurred between the two of them, they have become completely distant. True, they could still go on with their amusing banters and exchanges, but there was nothing left after that and neither knew which way to go afterwards. He could certainly feel the hated awkwardness that would be their future after they finish with Arkham. Knowing this, Dante discarded his last question for Vergil at the back of his mind.

"_Where will you go after this?"_

And with that, their conversation ended, and the rest of the group continued on their journey in the dense jungle silently sticking to their decided formation.

* * *

Welp. Last two chapters and this is it. :D I am now completely focusing on the relationships here. Of course there will be action because yes they have to defeat Arkham but what matters to me most is how will they be with each other after all of this. With that, I cannot promise you when the next chapter will be out, but I will finish this as fast as I can. Because I honestly want to move on with another idea I've been cooking up in my spare time.

Thank you to all my sweet reviewers!

**MarinaEverlasting** – You have my biggest thank you because you are ever so loyal with this fanfiction and you have stuck with it since the beginning! Again, thank you!

**Jp, justaguest, **and all you guest reviewers who showed up hell I do not care if you just appeared as guests you guys have been supportive of this fanfiction and I thank all of you as well!

That being said, see you guys on my next chapter! :D


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